TIFF Review: Leo Woodall in Tuner

There is nothing more fun at a film festival than the feeling of discovery, of seeing something new, or something that makes you see in a new way. Tuner, a heist flick with a musical bent, was just such a discovery as it features a standout performance from Leo Woodall. It’s not like we weren’t aware of Woodall’s charms, from playing the shady Jack in the second season of The White Lotus to more romantic roles in One Day and Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, but in Tuner he gets the kind of star-making turn that once would have made him an overnight sensation. Now, I just hope more people find this terrific film and Woodall’s performance and experience the same thrilling delight I did upon watching it.

Director Daniel Roher makes the leap from documentaries to narrative films with Tuner, which he co-wrote with Robert Ramsey. In it, Woodall stars as Niki, a piano tuner with a condition called hyperacusis, which renders sounds unbearably loud. Niki always wears ear plugs, and often layers on noise-cancelling headphones, too, blocking out the noise of life so that he can get on with his day. However, his super-sensitive hearing makes him good at his job, he’s so in synch with pianos he can tune them just by feel. It also makes him very good at cracking safes, which Niki discovers when he has to open a safe for his boss, rascally piano man Harry (Dustin Hoffman in a small but excellent role). 

Of course, this newly found talent rapidly lands Niki in deep with a gang of thieves led by the deceptively avuncular Uri (Lior Raz). With Harry in the hospital and the bills mounting, Niki joins Uri’s outfit to make some quick and easy cash. Along the way, he meets aspiring composer Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu) and contends with his own loss of musical ability, as his hearing makes playing the piano impossible.

Tuner has all the hallmarks of a good heist flick—a little bit of action, a little bit of romance, a lot of tension, and increasingly high stakes as events spiral of out control. But it also has the unique hook of Niki’s status as a former child prodigy, forced into early retirement by his condition, and trying to build a new life from the ashes, which adds emotional depth to the film and another layer of stakes as Niki contends with Ruthie and her bright future in music. And then there is Leo Woodall himself, sporting a convincing New York accent, swanning his way through the film with an abundance of charm and sex appeal. 

More than once, I was reminded of George Clooney’s time as a charming thief in films like Out of Sight and Ocean’s 11, but Woodall’s baser appeal and the way he subtly ripples with tension as Niki fights through bottled emotions recall Paul Newman, too. At no point does Woodall feel like an old-school movie star, he’s very much a contemporary presence on screen, but he is one of the few emerging talents who feels connected to that cinematic past, when performers with an abundance of charisma combined with raw appeal and brute talent carried high concept films effortlessly. In lesser hands, Tuner might well be a dud, the entire film is premised on Woodall’s appeal and ability, and he delivers in spades on both fronts.

We used to see films like this more, but then, we used to have more stars capable of carrying films like this. Tuner is hugely entertaining, gripping, romantic, emotional, and funny in turn, and Woodall negotiates all of those shifts flawlessly. He’s totally believable in the action scenes, the dramatic scenes, and the softer moments as Niki pursues Ruthie, and he’ll break your heart as harsher truths emerge as he finally opens up about his condition and inability to pursue music. Tuner and Leo Woodall are a perfect match, and though he has done good work before, this feels like Woodall’s true arrival, not just as a good actor, but as a bona fide star. With Leo Woodall in the driver’s seat, Tuner is sexy and entertaining and just plain fun.