Tuner

Director: Daniel Roher

Niki (Leo Woodall) is an apprentice piano tuner, working for his father like figure, Harry (Dustin Hoffman). Niki, is a talented pianist in his own right, a child prodigy, whose dreams were taken from him, by Hyperacusis, a hearing impairment that makes Niki hyper-sensitive to noise. Whlle it makes life difficult, it also means he has perfect pitch, a great skill for a piano tuner and also, when Harry has locked himself from his safe, the skill to crack it open. Three moments change Niki’s life, an incident with Harry, meeting talented pianist and music student, Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu) and, when working at a rich clients home, he comes across Uri (Lior Raz) and his team of safe crackers, who when the discover Niki’s skill, are This leads him into a world of high value theft until an incident not only puts Niki at risk, but Ruthie too, which leads to a high stakes gamble to put everything right.

Tuner is a slick thriller, with tense set pieces, high stakes risks and a surprisingly dark edged final act. Even if it’s not totally believable, with a few contrivances and decisions that stretch credibility a touch too far, it never stops you enjoying this fast moving adventure.

But this is not just a slick thriller, it comes with some heart and flair. The use of sound to try to put you into Niki’s world, is smart. There is also heart in Niki’s relationships with Harry, Harry’s wife Maria (Tovah Feldshuh). Niki’s relationship with Ruthie, who has the life that could have been Niki’s, forces it to explore how to deal with life changes that shatter your plans.

The film is helped by rock solid performances, Woodall brings a cheeky charm as he tries to balance the choices he makes. Lior Raz’s, Uri, is well pitched as a crime boss, who balances his seemingly friendly demeanour, with a believable edge, that can and does turn. They are well supported by the always excellent Hoffman and Havana Rose Liu and it all zips along in a pacey 107 minutes.

A well done, slick and entertaining thriller, that hits plenty of right notes.