Quick synopsis: A talented piano tuner’s meticulous skills for tuning pianos lead him to discover an unexpected aptitude for cracking safes

Tuner is impressive. I have to say that at the start because, well, to be honest, it’s unbearably hot right now, so there’s a good chance I might start writing nonsensical bullshit (more so than usual) in a state of heat-based delirium. So I wanted to get that fact out of the way first. Everything about Tuner works. The performances are stunning. Leo Woodall, in particular, stands out. He’s a critical darling due to his performances in One Day and The White Lotus, but I’ve only seen him in Nuremberg, where he played interpreter Howie Triest. At the time, I assumed he was one of those actors with an established career full of stuff that I wouldn’t be into. Nope, he’s still relatively fresh, especially for the roles he’s been trusted with. Obviously, most of the attention will be on Dustin Hoffman, and it’s unfair to deny him that, considering his career. It’s nice to get a reminder of how great an actor he is. He’s in a similar boat to DeNiro; he made his name as a serious actor. turned out to be surprisingly good at comedy, and is now mostly known for broad comedy and “hey, it’s that guy” cameos, to the point it’s hard to remember what made them well known in the first place. He isn’t the thing you’ll remember most from Tuner, but he is the thing that will draw casual ins. On the subject of performers: I’m not entirely sure when Havana Rose Liu sleeps because she has been in so many things lately, and she’s always good to see. The entire cast all work together very well, harmonising perfectly (music pun #1 of, well, I’m not counting them, but it will be a lot).

The real highlight of the movie is the sound design. The music is incredible, not just as music, but also as a soundtrack. I will overexplain this out of fear of uncertainty that what I’ve said hasn’t made sense. It’s not just good music, but I believe it truly improves the film. It’s not done in an obvious “this is tense music because it’s tense” way; it ebbs and flows, connecting with the visuals and the narrative perfectly, the music itself telling a story. I know, that’s the point of a soundtrack, but it very rarely is pulled off as well as it is in Tuner.

The story itself is fine. The different moving parts all work together in perfect harmony. What I like about it is that it uses the uniqueness of a character with hyperacusis to drive things forward. There are moments, plot points etc which could only happen in this film. The ending hit a bit of a sour note, lacking the beautiful melody that makes the rest of the film work. Not the entire final third, which hits all the right notes. But the final scene itself, where he plays music again, then declares the piano out of tune. The performance goes on slightly too long (not quite a Coheed And Cambria 5-minute drum solo, but it’s up there), and doesn’t really add anything. There’s not really any beauty, story progression, etc. It’s just there to say “see, he can play”, which could have been done simply by having Dustin Hoffman’s character show Ruthie a video of Niki playing when younger. I’d have actually preferred that. You’d see the wonder on Ruthie’s face, the pride on Harry’s, and the despair on Niki’s that he can no longer partake in something that he loves. It could have worked as a “that’s when she understands him” moment, which is something Tuner kind of lacks. The relationship between the two feels like it skips a beat (accidental music pun), like we’ve missed something happening between them that would help develop the relationship. These are all minor issues. It’s generally a fine watch. It’s not “I must see it again immediately” good, but it’s the type of film I’ll buy in a 2 for 1 deal at HMV or Fopp. I might never watch it again, but I would recommend others mic-check it out.