Black Bear Pictures premiered the new movie ‘Tuner’ on May 20.
A fitting backdrop for the movie’s opening homage to a classic New York, buddy-comedy pairing Leo Woodall as Niki and the big Tuna-fish himself, Dustin Hoffman, as his piano-tuning mentor, Harry Horowitz.
The film tracks Niki, a gifted piano tuner born with hyperacusis (a hearing disorder characterized by acute sound sensitivity), who extends his musical capabilities into cracking open safes. He envelops himself into New York’s thieving underworld, and his new side-hustle threatens his nascent romance with an extraordinary composing student named Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu).
Tuner comes as Academy Award winning documentarian Daniel Roher’s narrative feature debut. Co-written alongside screenwriting veteran and University of South California professor Robert Ramsey, the film is a melding of minds, genres, and generations.
“It was like a puppy and an old dog, so I had to up my game […] He had a great idea; I had craft. We merged the two things, and we beat out every scene, and we wrestled with each other,” said Ramsey. “I thought the idea was brilliant, and I spent a year with him.”
The quippy romantic-comedy is painted with a melodically jazzy score, but quickly descends into a masterclass for heists and safe-breaking aided by a viscerally violent audioscape… welcome to Niki’s world of hyper-sensitive hearing.
“I hope [audiences] get to see the first movie in my experience […] that has sound as an actual character in the movie. That is one of the most important, empathic elements of this heart-pounding thriller,” said Tovah Feldshuh, who plays Marla Horowitz, Harry’s wife and seudo-mom to Niki.
The score is composed by award winner Will Bates, with original on-screen music created by Grammy-legend Marius de Vries.
In addition to the impressive score, the film features Havana Rose Liu’s piano skills as a delightful and striking highlight. A talent she meticulously trained after taking a break from childhood. Since music plays such a key part in the movie itself, Liu reflects on what piece of music kept her grounded throughout the creative process.
“You and Me by Penny and the Quarters I really love, and I listen to a lot. It was a piece that I wanted to embody the feeling Ruthie and Niki have in their chemistry,” said Liu.
While Tuner brings a fresh twist to an old-school classic, told through sound and story, at its core the movie is intended to be a fun van-ride.
“I just hope people are entertained. This film is designed to be entertaining and to be not even two hours of escapism and to be told a good story,” said Woodall.
Leo Woodall at the Premiere of ‘Tuner’ / Photo by The Knockturnal
“I hope [audiences] have a really wonderful time. I hope they become more caring of each other and more aware of the sounds around them,” added Liu.
Check out Tuner, which marches to the beat of its own piano, now in select theaters and nationwide on Thursday, May 28th.
