Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: TUNER [Toronto International Film Festival 2025 - Toronto, Canada]
The essence of music is an interesting structure to play with especially when it involves disability and/or trauma. "Tuner" [Special Presentations] from director Daniel Roher is an interesting study in the exercise of structure. It lulls the viewer in with a story of an apprentice piano tuner Niki (Leo Woodall) working with an aging tuner Henry (Dustin Hoffman). Hoffman is gracious enough to frontload the film which sets the stage for a understated but well regarded performance by Woodall which subjugates the story into almost a caper film but with a musicality throughout. Havana Rose Liu plays Ruthie, a professionally motivated pianist student bound for greatness that gets drawn in by Niki's artistry and perfect pitch despite his blue collar job (which is in itself a result of a childhood trauma). The key to the film is Niki being drawn into a life that he needs to be able to support those who he loves. There are some interesting scenes that are quiet that speak to this dilemma even as Niki seems to draw himself deeper. The film retains a certain pace and Roher understands how to use music better than most seasoned narrative directors. He knows how it needs to inform the story and when and where it plays.
The film also speaks to the artistic element of what artistry is. Hoffman related in the Q&A that he initially wanted to be a concert pianist in his earlier years but it fizzled out before he found acting. This in a way spoke to his motivation. It is also great to see Hoffman on screen again, however limited, because even at 88, his delivery and jazzy approach is undeniable and still as strong. Lior Raz as Udi shows the path into a different world of safecracking which is, with Niki, an interesting progression. Niki is allergic to sound so he needs to wear hearing condensers and then actually headphones to deaden the sound because it is so sensitive to tone. At the core, Niki just wants to help Henry though that is not the lesson to be learned (or earned). When a final resolution requires Niki to make a choice, even though it doesn't necessarily mean he will be redeemed, it speaks to the integrity of the character in what he does. He may have done bad things but he is not a bad person. That is the key to the performance and the film. Woodall plays Niki with an almost wounded soul but with a context of pride that shines through. The final moments show his resilience and provide the coda in a well-constructed tale, one not overtly complex but through its use of different modalities (sound design, music and acting) it comes up with an effective blend. B+
By Tim Wassberg
