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 about 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 days 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 rather than its 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 those mentioned above that snapped me right out of Roher’s meticulously created, intimate world.
Leo Woodall (“Nuremberg”) continues to impress, this time taking on the role of Niki, a young man with a unique hearing condition in which, as he describes it, he’s 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 noises. This makes him the perfect piano tuner, a skill he’s honed with his mentor, Henry (Dustin Hoffman), a father-figure who, for all intents and purposes, has adopted him.
However, when Henry falls ill and his medical bills begin to mount, Niki enters into an arrangement with a swarthy group of thieves he thinks will be temporary. His unique condition makes him the perfect safe cracker and before you know it, he’s got more than enough money to pay off Henry’s debt and pocket a bit for himself. Complicating things further is his budding relationship with Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu), a pianist he’s involved with who’s unaware of his clandestine activities.
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 absconded with turns up. This hoary plot twist 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. Yet, because of this narrative lapse there will be others who will overlook all of its positive aspects and dismiss the film out of hand.
As I write this, I’m still not sure what side of the fence I’m on. What with so much of today’s Hollywood movies being devoid of imagination and inspiration, so many of the bloated, empty films they peddle are instantly forgettable. As such, smaller independent productions 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 then there’s that damn coincidence…
2 1/2 Stars
