It’s a long way from the world of documentaries but, after nabbing an Oscar for Navalny (2023), director Daniel Roher has moved away from his comfort zone to make his feature film debut. Instead of his personal viewpoint on politics and global issues, he gives us Tuner, a romantic comedy/thriller with an unexpectedly light touch but which, despite its charms, struggles to keep a consistent tone. And, for a film where music, and sound as a whole, play such a key role, it’s a considerable stumbling block.
At the centre of the action is talented piano tuner Niki (Leo Woodall), who works for the aging Harry Horowitz (Dustin Hoffman), a legend in the business and beloved by musicians. Niki’s talent comes from his ultra-sensitive hearing which makes loud noises painful and scuppered his burgeoning career as a musician, but also means he’s unique among piano tuners. It’s equally useful in a more lucrative but definitely illegal line of work. Accidentally discovering a gang trying to break into a safe and finding he can crack the combination with ease, he agrees to do several jobs for them to fund Harry’s medical care but when he tries to call a halt, the gang are having none of it, and his ambitious pianist girlfriend, Ruthie (Oh. What. Fun.‘s Havana Rose Liu) comes under threat.
In a film very much of two halves, the first is the clear winner, quickly engaging with its abrasive New York style, quick-fire banter and our own curiosity about why Niki wears what looks like hearing aids, as well as heavy-duty headphones. The storyline moves along at a pace, and the crisp dialogue is a complete gift to Hoffman, who steals every single one of his scenes. He’s helped by some gleefully mischievous barbs in the direction of the wealthy clients – watch out for the stay-at-home wife who assumes her piano tuners will also repair a faulty toilet – and his combination of twinkly good humour and stubborn grumpiness means that when he’s not around, there’s a dark hole in proceedings. The film sets out its stall effectively and endearingly, with an added sprinkle of romance and just enough promise of a thriller to keep us hooked.
But the tone changes radically in the second hour. The light, diverting caper is gone, as is Hoffman and much of the laughs, to be replaced by a darker thriller with a violent edge that feels out of step with part one. Tuner loses the likeable nature it originally cultivated, forgets what it set out to be and ends up losing its way. To his credit, however, Roher takes us deeper into Niki’s audio world, so that we understand his often muffled and agonisingly painful experience of life. Taking more than a little inspiration from Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver, it’s a film where the sound design is unusually meaningful and immersive, with the soundtrack not just complementing the action but actually propelling the narrative in the right direction.
For the rapidly rising Woodall (Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, Nuremberg), this is a role that both plays to his strengths and stretches him as an actor, especially in his partnership with the double Oscar-winning Hoffman. They share a genuine warmth and, when he’s left to his own devices in the second half, Woodall’s easy-going screen presence stops the narrative from becoming too dark. In the past couple of years, he’s proved he’s more than just a pretty face, and this performance shows off his genuine star quality. Now all he needs is a film that fully lives up to his talents. To paraphrase a certain comedy double act, Tuner plays all the right notes, but not always in the right order.
★★★
In cinemas from May 29th / Leo Woodall, Dustin Hoffman, Havana Rose Liu, Lior Raz, Tovah Feldshuh and Jean Reno / Dir: Daniel Roher / Black Bear UK / 15
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