'Tuner' movie review

 

 

 imdb 

After waiting for over two months since watching the trailer—and the hype was totally justified—the movie finally hit the screen in mid-July.

During all that wait, I had already pieced together a bit of the story in my head just from the trailer: A young guy in his late twenties/around 30 suffers from hyperacusis (extreme hearing sensitivity) and works alongside his boss—played by Dustin Hoffman—tuning pianos. At one point, sitting by a piano in total silence, he hears low-pitched sounds coming from the floor above. It was a crew of safecrackers using drills and heavy gear. The young guy manages to pop the safe open in just a few minutes without any fuss, purely because he could hear the faint sounds of the ball bearings turning.

In a later scene, his illegal boss seems to be blackmailing him using his girlfriend, an orchestra conductor and pianist. At some point, backed into a corner because he needs to cover the hospital bills for his old piano-tuner boss, he’s forced to team up with the gang.

None of the above are spoilers, by the way—they're all right there in the trailer, which I watched countless times waiting for the real show to start!

The rest of the movie right up to the end felt almost like filler added onto that initial frame, filling in a few blanks along with a couple of sensational scenes—like the one with the watch, for instance.

Dustin Hoffman felt more like a supporting actor here, with the young lead and his girlfriend—Leo & Liu—stepping into the main roles. Both put in solid performances and play their parts really well, especially Leo. Plus, their chemistry on screen was spot on—they clicked perfectly.

The film has a fast pace with zero dull moments, and even though it packs a few crime scenes, it remains a thoroughly enjoyable watch.

While it could easily be tagged as a drama, it definitely doesn't skimp on humor. The absolute funniest moment? Seeing Dustin Hoffman’s head on a keychain!!

Funny thing to note: a pretty big chunk of the movie features a muffled, heavy audio perspective, exactly how Leo would hear things. Overall, I’d say the film really pushes the point-of-view right through Leo’s own ears.

Hope this gives you all a little nudge to go check it out!