Tuner (English) Review {2.0/5} & Review Rating
Star Cast: Leo Woodall, Havana Rose Liu
Director: Daniel Roher
Tuner Movie Review Synopsis:
TUNER is the story of a man who uses his talent for criminal activities. Niki White (Leo Woodall) works as an apprentice to piano tuner Harry Horowitz (Dustin Hoffman). Harry was a friend of Niki’s late father and dotes on him. Niki was once a gifted pianist, but had to give it up after suffering from hyperacusis, a rare auditory condition that causes extreme sensitivity to everyday sounds. This condition forces him to wear special ear protection at all times. However, it also grants him a ‘superpower’-like hearing ability. One day, when Harry forgets the combination to his safe, Niki, with his heightened hearing, discovers that he can crack safes. However, he keeps this talent hidden until he happens to bump into a group of Israeli thieves. He helps open a safe for them. Their leader, Uri (Lior Raz), is impressed with his skills and asks him to work for them in return for money. Niki accepts because Harry is hospitalized and in debt. Meanwhile, he also begins a romantic relationship with Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu), an aspiring pianist. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Tuner Movie Story Review:
Daniel Roher and Robert Ramsey's story has a lot of promise. Daniel Roher and Robert Ramsey's screenplay is uneven – while some scenes are arresting, the narrative also suffers. The dialogues are okay. As it happens with most films released by PVR Inox Pictures, there are no subtitles and hence, some dialogues might not be easy to comprehend.
Daniel Roher's direction is a mixed bag. The basic plotline is intriguing – a man realizes that his weakness could be his strength. The scenes of Niki opening the safe are creative and immersive. Moreover, the sound design gives the audience an understanding of Niki’s sensory world. Hence, one gets to experience overwhelming environmental noises to understand what hyperacusis does to Niki. A few scenes are sharply silent, further adding to the impact. A few scenes are memorable like Niki helping out Uri’s gang for the first time, Niki helping the Koreans, Niki kidnapped by Uri’s gang. etc.
On the flipside, despite such a fresh plot, the film never really gives one a high. At times, the film seems like a light-hearted love story and at other times, it turns into a dark crime thriller. The shift in tonality is unsettling and further dents the impact. Moreover, the idea was probably to show that he indulges in crime to pay off the medical bills, but it also seems that he’s enjoying it. As a result, one doesn’t root for the protagonist. The developments in the finale will leave viewers a bit confused.
Tuner Movie Review Performances:
Leo Woodall delivers a subtle yet very effective performance. He totally gets into the skin of his character. Havana Rose Liu is in top form and more importantly, her character arc is much better than Leo's. Dustin Hoffman is adorable in a supporting part. Lior Raz is aptly cast as the antagonist. Nissan Sakira (Benny), Gil Cohen (Yoni) and Tovah Feldshuh (Marla) are fair. Jean Reno (Marius Maissner) has a cameo and is okay.
Tuner movie music and other technical aspects:
Will Bates' music is well-woven into the narrative. Lowell A Meyer's cinematography is satisfactory. The VFX is quite appealing. Peter Cosco's production design and Sarah Millman's costumes are realistic yet classy. The action is a bit gory. Greg O'Bryant's editing is sharp.
Tuner Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, TUNER rests on a fresh concept, strong sound design and sincere performances, but its uneven tone, lack of emotional pull and inability to make the viewer fully root for the protagonist prevent it from leaving the desired impact. At the box office in India, its niche subject, limited appeal and absence of strong awareness will make it a tough sell.