#TIFF50 Review: Tuner (Special Presentations)

By John Corrado

In his narrative feature debut Tuner, Oscar-winning Navalny director (and Toronto local) Daniel Roher delivers a delightful surprise. Roher’s first fiction film finds its own rhythm, with a carefully calibrated mix of tones that blends drama, romantic comedy, and thriller, set to a fitting, jazzy score.

The film’s premise is also an inventive one; a piano tuner who turns into a safe cracker. Niki White (Leo Woodall) is the protege of Harry Horowitz (Dustin Hoffman), a veteran piano tuner. They drive around all day in the work van, tuning pianos for mostly rich clients who barely even play them. Niki has perfect pitch but is also incredibly sensitive to sound, and needs to wear earplugs, a hearing condition that killed his own piano playing.

When Niki discovers that he can use his sensitive ears to crack locks, picking up the subtle sounds of gears and tumblers clicking into place, this makes him very attractive to a crime boss (Jean Reno) who brings him into the fold. Niki agrees because he needs the money. There’s also a burgeoning romance with Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu), a piano student who catches Niki’s attention when tuning the piano in the university concert hall.

Roher’s film has a jazz-like rhythm to it; the story moves, with editor Greg O’Bryant keeping it ticking along at an engaging pace, as all of the story elements come together. Roher joked in the Q&A that, having ADHD, this is the way his mind works, and he wanted his film to reflect that. In keeping with the musical themes, the film is set to a number of jazz standards, tied together by a nice score by Will Bates.

It’s anchored by an excellent performance from Woodall, who turns Niki into a compelling central subject, at once a little rough but also sympathetic. While Hoffman doesn’t get as much screen time, he is a wonderful supporting presence in the film, reminding us why he’s simply one of the best actors to ever do it.