Tuner, rated R
***
This film is about a piano tuner that gets involved in criminal activity because of his gift of hearing. The film is directed by Oscar winner Daniel Roher (Navalny), and written by Roher and Robert Ramsey.
Niki White, played by Leo Woodall, is a young man who possesses the rare talent of perfect pitch. At one time, he was an excellent pianist, but he no longer plays. He is the apprentice to piano tuner and repairman Harry Horowitz, played by two-time Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman (Rain Man, Kramer vs. Kramer).
Harry hasn’t raised his prices for thirty years. We never see Harry do any work. He enjoys Niki and loves him like a son, and eats what his wife Marla, played by two-time Emmy nominee Tovah Feldshuh (Law & Order, Holocaust), tells him he shouldn’t.
Niki suffers from hyperacusis, a hearing disorder that makes everyday sounds intolerable. It is like an allergy to loud noise. Niki underwent exposure therapy for a couple of years to build up his tolerance to softer volumes and tones, but still needs to always wear earplugs, and at times noise-cancelling headphones.
Harry is getting older and forgetful. One time, he forgets his hearing aids. He has locked them in a safe and forgotten the combination. Niki finds that with his hearing gift, he is able to crack the safe.
One night Niki is tuning a piano on a job and is disturbed by loud noises upstairs. Upon checking it out, he finds that some rough-looking men, led by Uri, played by Lior Raz, are trying to drill into a safe. They tell Niki that they are part of the security team for the homeowners, and he believes that. To get the noise to stop, Niki cracks the safe they were drilling into. Uri realizes that Niki can be valuable to them, and he starts pulling him into their jobs. Niki uses the money he makes to help pay for Harry’s medical bills which have accumulated as Harry has stopped paying his Medicare premiums.
On one of his tuning jobs, Niki meets Ruthie, a young pianist and composer, played by Havana Rose Liu. She is practicing a piece to perform in front of the composer Maestro Marius Maissner, hoping to intern with him. Niki and Ruthie slowly begin a romantic relationship.
As he continues his work as a piano tuner during the day, and developing his relationship with Ruthie, Harry, Marla and Ruthie have no idea of the secret life of crime that Niki is living.
The film includes some violence, a significant amount of adult language, including the misuse of God’s and Jesus’ names, and a brief shot of nude photos found in one of the safes that Niki cracks.
I most enjoyed the scenes in the film with Harry and Niki. Those scenes were at times funny and touching.
