If you’re looking for a super cool, edgy date-night film mixed with a musical romance, might I suggest Academy Award winner Daniel Roher’s TUNER, starring Leo Woodall, Academy Award winner Dustin Hoffman, Havana Rose Liu, Tony Award winner Tovah Feldshuh, and Lior Raz. TUNER premieres today, May 22, in New York and LA, and expands there after nationwide on May 29.
The myth that a piano tuner’s life is boring and lackluster will definitely change your perspective after witnessing Leo Woodall’s embodiment of Niki White, a gifted man whose major downfall in life should be attributed to his hyperacusis diagnosis.
Woodall is really an intriguing character on screen, as you embrace the quiet anxiety, yet frigid frustration he endures while finding space in the world that surrounds him. Niki’s love interest, Ruthie, is portrayed by Havana Rose Liu, and the magnetic pull she exerts through her cat-and-mouse tactics blends well with the storyline.
My absolute ultimate faves are Academy Award winner Dustin Hoffman and Tony Award winner Tovah Feldshuh’s old school couple vibes. These two had me chuckling during their scenes, which provide comedic relief and a great theatrical asset to this film.
Lior Raz and his criminal boss crew will make you question the validity of their heist goals and the monetary lengths they will go to for fraudulent domination.
Overall, a piano tuner can’t operate without music, so music lovers should appreciate the captivating score and sound design, which add a layer of je ne sais quoi, beautifully structured like a puzzle. The ending had me gagging with its breathtaking performance, to say the least. A surprise Herbie Hancock cameo also brings me much joy, seeing him on screen too.
Glitter&Gumbo recommends TUNER for audiences to sit with as a musically entertaining, slow-burning suspense drama.
Synopsis: In TUNER, Academy Award-winning director Daniel Roher’s first narrative feature, Leo Woodall stars as a gifted young piano tuner whose heightened sense of hearing draws the attention of criminals, who see his talents as useful for opening safes as for tuning Steinways.
With his once-promising musical career over, he works across New York with his mentor Harry Horowitz (Academy Award-winner Dustin Hoffman), encountering a range of characters, including composition student Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu), with whom he forges an unexpected connection. Niki’s safecracking work threatens his budding romance with Ruthie and pulls him into increasingly dangerous territory. Blending romance, drama, and the taut suspense of a heist thriller, TUNER also features performances from Tony Award-winner Tovah Feldshuh, Jean Reno, and Lior Raz.
Director: Daniel Roher
Writer: Daniel Roher and Robert Ramsey
Principal Cast: Leo Woodall, Dustin Hoffman, Havana Rose Liu, Lior Raz, Tovah Feldshuh
Producers: JoAnne Sellar, Lila Yacoub, Teddy Schwarzman, Michael Heimler
Executive Producers: Courtney L. Cunniff, John Friedberg, Andrew Golov, Noah Segal, Christina Piovesan, Robert Ramsey, Mary Ann Waterhouse
Rating: R
Runtime: 109 Minutes