Tuner is a solid feature film debut from Roher, and a damn entertaining one; it’s only a pity it hasn’t received the attention it so duly deserves. This is a movie that hits all the right notes in all the right places.
How far would you go for the ones you love? That’s the question posed in Daniel Roher’s Tuner, and the one Leo Woodall’s young piano tuner Niki is about to face. Niki isn’t just any piano tuner; he has an exceptional gift that is also, at times, a curse – ultra-sensitive hearing that enables the finest of tuning, but also means he has to block out the majority of daily noise with earplugs and headphones.
Niki has worked for Harry Horowitz (Dustin Hoffman) ever since he was a teenager, and Harry and his wife, Marla (Tovah Feldshuh), have become surrogate grandparents. But Harry is getting older, and his health and memory are rapidly deteriorating. At the same time, his prices remain stuck in time. When Harry forgets the combination to his safe, Niki learns a new skill, safe-cracking, using only his exceptional hearing. It’s a skill that Niki is going to put to good use when Harry falls ill, not out of choice, but necessity as Harry’s medical bills mount. The trouble is, once you enter the criminal world, an escape door isn’t easy to find.
There’s more than a passing nod to Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver in Tuner. But despite hitting many similar narrative beats, Roher’s movie finds its own distinct sound as the hum of an engine and the loud beats of pop and rock classics are replaced by softer piano tones, a sublime Jazz score, and the delightful performances of Leo Woodall, Dustin Hoffman, and a cracking ensemble. Tuner is a solid feature film debut from Roher, and a damn entertaining one; it’s only a pity it hasn’t received the attention it so duly deserves. This is a crime-thriller that hits all the right notes in all the right places.
Tuner is available to rent or buy now.
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