In 'tuner,' A Goodhearted Worker Blessed With Expert Hearing Is Lured By Safecracking

For anyone who thinks they don’t make them for illustration they utilized to, opportunity hullo to “Tuner,” a beautifully calibrated crime-romance pinch shades of “Thief” and “Good Will Hunting” and a terrific prima move from Leo Woodall, who anchors nan ensemble. “Tuner” is nan communicative characteristic debut of Daniel Roher, nan acclaimed documentary filmmaker whose “Navalny” won nan Oscar successful 2023. But pinch “Tuner,” he proves he tin capably play successful different key, while delivering 1 of nan freshest surprises of nan year.

Roher and co-writer Robert Ramsay trade a classically system screenplay astir a talented soft tuner who stumbles into a life of crime, upon which Roher, editor Greg O’Bryant, and composer Will Bates embroider jazzy rhythms and inflections, inspired by nan philharmonic world our characters inhabit.

Woodall, nan character who pulled attraction successful “Nuremberg” and “The White Lotus,” stars arsenic Niki, a young soft tuner moving nether his mentor and surrogate father, Harry (Dustin Hoffman), who has nan connections and nan gift of gab. Brooding Niki, meanwhile, has nan accomplishment and nan cleanable pitch. They make for an amusing overseas mates entering nan soul sanctums of nan uber-wealthy successful nan New York metro area, often asked to do other attraction tasks. Their narration and banter are charming, but it’s clear that Niki has a hunger for much successful this life.

Through thoughtful exposition told visually and done performance, we study that Niki has a proceeding upset called hyperacusis, an utmost sensitivity to sound and “uncontrolled acoustic environments.” It’s not until almost halfway done nan movie that he names nan condition, but we spot that he perpetually wears specialized earplugs and over-ear protection astir of nan time, and that his proceeding greatly affects really he encounters nan world.

Roher brings america wrong his caput via nan activity of Academy Award-winning sound designer Johnnie Burn (“The Zone of Interest”), who mixes nan extracurricular sound according to really Niki manages it, creating a profoundly subjective viewing experience. His information is some a superpower and a vulnerability, arsenic we spot erstwhile he discovers a vulnerable caller skill, cracking safes, pinch his unsocial expertise to perceive nan tumblers of nan fastener moving internally.

A rueful look crosses Niki’s look erstwhile he opens his first safe to rescue Harry’s proceeding aids, arsenic if he knows this can’t lead anyplace good, and so it does not. His first occupation comes by accident, erstwhile he stumbles upon a unit of Israeli burglars masquerading arsenic a information company, led by smooth-talking Uri (Lior Raz). Niki conscionable wants them to extremity nan racket they’re making pinch their drill, truthful he quickly manipulates nan fastener and gets backmost to tuning.

But Uri spots talent, and soon Niki will desperately request nan money erstwhile Harry lands successful nan hospital. Niki finds himself moving pinch nan safe-cracking crew, lifting items that able group mightiness not miss, while simultaneously romancing a beautiful and talented composer and pianist, Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu), whom he meets while tuning pianos astatine her conservatory.

For nan purposes of this screenplay, nan world is mini and filled pinch coincidences, but location are twists and turns on nan measurement that will make you gasp, arsenic communicative thumps click into spot down nan line. Roher besides builds retired this world pinch layers of culture, characteristic and euphony — whether it’s nan jazz musicians Harry ran pinch backmost successful nan time (Herbie Hancock makes a cameo), nan superior conservatory students (Ruthie’s euphony is composed by Marius de Vries) aliases nan underground raves thrown by nan Israeli crew.

O’Bryant’s edit is lively and sparkling, bringing a definite constituent of joke while besides demonstrating successful montages nan desperation that leads Niki down this path. Woodall turns successful a star-making capacity arsenic this tortured, taciturn characteristic who doesn’t talk much, though his tattoos opportunity a lot. His bad-boy swagger externally obfuscates his bosom of gold, but his goodness and morality are apparent.

Niki’s philharmonic brilliant is often alluded to, dreams deferred by his proceeding disorder, and Woodall physically communicates that repressed frustration. More elegantly, successful a climactic moment, he yet plays nan soft — a possession and an exorcism astatine nan aforesaid clip and an detonation of earthy talent that says everything he cannot.

In character, communicative and setting, “Tuner” has an old-school value to it, for illustration a movie from nan 1970s. It has a throwback consciousness yet could easy beryllium successful immoderate era, which makes it truthful appealing. It’s a thrill to watch this benignant of original, big moviemaking that’s each excessively uncommon these days, and Roher hits each nan correct notes. Here’s hoping he has much of these magic tricks up his sleeve.

Walsh is simply a Tribune News Service movie critic.