Tuner was one of the darlings of the film festival circuit this past year and even had a very good showing at our own Dallas International Film Festival a few weeks ago. The buzz around this one had it on my radar while doing my best to keep my expectations grounded as I went into it. And honestly, I was not disappointed.
Leo Woodall plays Niki White, a former piano prodigy who has to give up on his dreams due to a hearing condition called hyperacusis. He still has perfect pitch, so he makes a living as a piano tuner under his mentor, Harry Horowitz (Dustin Hoffman). When Harry realizes he has forgotten the combination to his personal safe, Niki realizes that he has a knack for safecracking because of his gifts. What starts out as a favor for a friend turns into a desperate attempt to escape the life he has been dealt and gets him in over his head as his best intentions turn into his worst nightmare.
Daniel Roher (who also has The A.I. Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist in its initial run) directs and co-wrote this script, and he has his second hit in a row this year. Although it is a premise that doesn’t seem to warrant its almost two-hour runtime, this film fills each and every second with intrigue, suspense, and intensity that had me completely immersed in the directions the characters were taking themselves. I do appreciate that the script doesn’t just make the leap from piano tuner to yegg but instead having him learn how to listen for the “click” of a combination falling into place by watching videos on-line. While he never really struggles in this department (and gloves don’t seem to be an issue given what he gets into), it still keeps things grounded and still kept a hold of me.
Lior Raz as Uni completely embodies the word “evil” as the guy who is the proverbial snake in the Tree of Knowledge and can hopefully use the momentum that his performances here and in Gladiator II to have us see more of him down the line. Even with the strength of his performance, the standout for me lies in Havana Rose Liu as Ruthie, the composition student Niki runs into and becomes involved with. She has a gravity and smarm that works brilliantly off of both Woodall and Hoffman in a way that is endearing and leads to heartbreaking during her character’s arc. By the way, Hoffman may not be in this for very long, but Harry’s impact on the story is INCREDIBLY important. It is easy to believe that Harry has been in Niki’s life for as long as Niki can remember, and there is no way the two of them did not enjoy working with each other.
Tuner deserves all of the love that it has gotten and so much more. Although it may not be making it to us through any grand release, it would benefit those that enjoy intense stories with some cool twists and turns to check it out in any way possible!