A talented piano tuner’s meticulous skills for tuning pianos lead him to discover an unexpected aptitude for cracking safes, turning his life upside down.
Chuck says:
I understand that coincidences occur. There’s that whole thing with the odd similarities between Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. Then there’s the story of Violet Jessop who survived the sinking of the Titanic, Britannic and the Olympic, which defies all reason. Mark Twain was born and died on the same day, 74 years apart, Haley’s Comet appeared, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on the same day – July 4th, 182, the 50th anniversary of The Declaration of Independence – and the first and last deaths during the construction of the Hoover Dam were of father and son. Yep, strange stuff happens all the time…
I’m trying to keep this in mind as I consider Daniel Roher’s “Tuner,” a very clever heist film with a sympathetic anti-hero that gets by on its craftsmanship and its smart screenplay. Obviously modeled after Michael Mann’s “Thief,” this is a slickly rendered movie that is, for the most part, captivating. Yet, it is tripped up by a plot twist that is just too much to swallow, a coincidence on par with the above mentioned that snapped me right out of Roher’s meticulously created, intimate world.
Leo Woodall continues to impress, this time taking on the role of Niki, a young man with a unique hearing condition that results him being, as he describes it, allergic to noise. Wearing special headphones and plugs that dampen and filter everyday sounds, he’s able to tune in on and concentrate on particular sounds. This makes him the perfect piano tuner, a skill he’s honed with his mentor, Henry (Dustin Hoffman). It also makes him the perfect safe cracker, something he proves adept at, and employs in the service of a swarthy group of thieves. Circumstances arise in which Niki needs a lot of fast cash and, as a result, he takes on a few too many jobs, putting himself at risk.
It comes as no surprise that Niki gets in too deep and is forced to commit far more crimes than he’s comfortable with. What DOES come as a surprise is when and where a wrist watch he’s absconded with turns up, an event that comes from far out of left field, a moment so incredulous my mouth was agape, my disappointment, immense.
Everyone’s mileage varies where things like this are concerned. Some viewers will be able to brush it off, what with all the goodwill Roher and his crew have built up. The performances are great, the writing – save for this one glitch – is very smart and this is one of the best edited films I’ve seen in years. There will be others who will negate all of this, because of this narrative lapse.
As I write this, I’m still not sure what side of the fence I’m on. What with so many of today’s Hollywood movies being devoid of imagination and inspiration, the bloated, empty films they peddle instantly forgettable. As such, smaller independent films that attempt to tap into relatable human concerns should be celebrated. In the end, “Tuner” gets far more right than it gets wrong, so it should be commended. But there’s that damn coincidence…
2 1/2 Stars
