A still from ‘Tuner’
| Photo Credit: Black Bear Pictures
Leo Woodall draws one into his life as Niki White, an apprentice piano tuner to Harry Horowitz (Dustin Hoffman), a legend in the New York City music circles.As the two go about in their van, with its bobble head of Harry nodding benignly and little dinosaurs roaring merrily on the dashboard, Harry dispenses wisdom on a vast range of topics from cholesterol to the merits of fresh tuna sandwiches.We learn that Niki was a child prodigy, but his piano playing came to a grinding halt when he was felled by hyperacusis. Niki’s father was Harry’s good friend, and Harry and his wife, Marla (Tovah Feldshuh) take Niki under their wing after he passed away.While Harry is talented and has made a name for himself, he is not a very good businessman, not having increased his rates for the past 30 years, as Marla says despairingly. We see the two going about their business, visiting grand houses where pianos are props, or need urgent tuning as “Billy Joel is coming to play”, and music conservatories where a well-tuned piano is crucial to the students’ success.Tuner (English)Director: Daniel RoherCast: Leo Woodall, Havana Rose Liu, Lior Raz, Tovah Feldshuh, Jean Reno, Dustin HoffmanRuntime: 107 minutesStoryline: A gifted piano tuner with a hearing problem accidentally discovers a talent for cracking safes and attracts the wrong kind of clienteleIt is at such a conservatory that Niki meets Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu), whose ambition is to shine at a concert and grab the attention of master composer Marius Maissner (Jean Reno), who offers one assistantship a year. A series of events, including Niki accidentally learning he has a special skill set to crack safes, Harry suffering a heart attack and being unable to pay medical bills as he has let his insurance lapse (“on principle”, Marla explains tearfully), and a canny trio of thieves, Uri (Lior Raz), Yoni (Gil Cohen), and Benny (Nissan Sakira), set Niki on a path of crime.Tuner is beautifully written with well-realised characters. There is the well-read Yoni, providing Uri with all the right words, and sweet Benny, who loves dogs and dreams of opening a sanctuary where they will not be put down even if they are never adopted.
