Tuner – Budget Unknown – 1 hour and 47 minutes
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Niki travels with his mentor, Harry, to tune pianos. They have spirited conversations, with Harry offering Niki life advice. During dinner, Harry’s wife, Marla, asks Harry where his hearing aids are. Harry confesses that he accidentally locked them in the safe and doesn’t remember the new combination. Harry needs them for his doctor’s appointment. Niki offers to crack it at home before Harry’s physical. Marla alerts Niki about Harry’s tuning appointments tomorrow as he leaves with the safe. Niki watches YouTube videos throughout the night and learns to crack a safe using his hyperacusis. He becomes ill with acute, loud sounds. However, it makes him more sensitive to combination locks and pianos.
Niki visits Shafitz Hall to fix their main piano. He hears Ruthie playing and becomes captivated. He warns her that he will need 2 hours to tune the instrument, and she leaves in a huff because she booked the room. Afterward, Niki alerts her that the job is complete. She plays a few notes, and he can hear that something is wrong. He tunes it again while impressing Ruthie. She discovers he has perfect pitch before he leaves. Niki arrives at a wealthy client before their fundraiser. He warns the coordinator that he can’t work while the event staff loudly setup. She gives him money for lunch and asks him to return after the workers leave. Niki returns and tunes the piano. But a thump upstairs distracts him. He follows the sound, puts on noise-cancelling headphones, and finds Uri, Benny, and Yoni using tools to open a safe. They lie to Niki about why they are there. He doesn’t care. He only wants them to keep the noise down. Uri states that they will if he can open the safe. Niki opens the safe, leaves the room, and finishes his job. Uri gives Niki $100 and offers him more money for future safe cracking after leaving his business card.
Niki and Harry take a break during their appointments and stop at a local diner. Niki gets quiet when he sees Ruthie at the counter. Harry pushes Niki to walk her to school and carry her books. It’s an awkward walk, but they get to know each other. Niki returns to the diner to find paramedics loading Harry into an ambulance. Marla confesses that Harry stopped paying his medical insurance premiums in protest. Now they are $37,000 behind with no way to pay their mounting bills. Niki calls Uri to work with him and make fast money. He believes it will be quick, easy cash. But when his personal life collides with his love life, can Niki keep everything in tune?
This film has an indie movie feel without being pretentious. The backing track and composition flow perfectly within the scene without dominating it. The camera shakes and loses focus each time Niki’s environment disrupts his physical state. This allows the audience to empathize with Niki’s ailment while feeling his pain. As the script follows Niki’s moral decline, you discover that Niki isn’t losing himself. He’s been lost for a while and is barely keeping it together. If you are a Baby Driver fan, you may assume that you know where the story is going to conclude. However, you are wrong. The story throws a curveball to keep you on your toes. This film’s dialogue offers an easy laugh without being grotesque. And the love story feels unnecessary until everything comes full circle. This film is a gem and award-worthy.
I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars
E flat is out – Niki
What am I going to do with you – Marla
Play the old fart something – Harry
Do you have perfect pitch – Ruthie
Tuner, how are you brother – Uri
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Categories: AMC Screen Unseen, Dustin Hoffman, Havana Rose Liu, In The Theater, Jean Reno, Leo Woodall, Lior Raz, movie, review, Tovah Feldshuh, Tuner
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