PlitzMania

Tuner (🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟) might be the best film I’ve seen this year. I’ve been praying to the Gods of Cinema for a real film lately- for a film that will make me feeling something, damn it. And guess what? My prayers were answered. This felt like vintage ‘70s filmmaking.  A wildly unpredictable, engaging thriller, I lost myself in Tuner’s story. Leo Woodall, Havana Rose Liu & Dustin Hoffman give a trio of performances that could not have been better. All of which is the reason I’m giving Tuner the 5-Star Treatment & it’s the reason I’m telling you with every last fiber of my being to see this film in theaters.  I am violinist & pianist of over 25 years. The piano is such a beautiful, fascinating & incredibly frustrating instrument. It can bring you to your knees. It can also bring you face-to-face with something truly special. The piano is an utterly essential part of Tuner. The way this film pays homage, honors, and respects the piano is worthy of so much praise, especially when you consider the AI-infested world we find ourselves in right now. To see a film revolve around such a beautiful instrument in this day and age really struck me. It made me miss those precious ivory keys.  That said, Woodall plays Niki, a piano tuner & apprentice to a guy named Harry (Dustin Hoffman). Niki just so happens to suffer from hyperacusis, a hypersensitive hearing disorder that forces him to constantly wear ear protection. Hyperacusis is also the reason Niki can no longer play the piano & it’s why he’s left merely tuning them. The crux of the story here is Niki discovers that his hypersensitive hearing allows him to break into locked safes by listening to the turning of the locks. While tuning a piano one night, Niki stumbles upon a group of thieves breaking into a safe, only to help them finish the job & effectively join their crew. Niki starts to see his life change at the same time he meets a gifted piano student named Ruthie (Rose Liu), who turns into Niki’s girlfriend upon a few chance encounters. The whole idea here is Niki gets caught in the wrong crowd at the wrong time while falling in love with Ruthie.  The story felt like a combination of some of my favorite films. There’s a bit of Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash here, in that our protagonist has such a deep passion for music & once had dreams of pursuing greatness. But then there’s a bit of that Uncut Gems/Anora feeling that starts to creep in as Niki’s safe-stealing starts to kick up. I can’t overemphasize enough the story’s unpredictability: what starts out as a meditation on the piano & a father-son-esque relationship between Niki & Harry transforms into something far more sinister & far more dangerous. At all times, Tuner keeps you on the balls of your feet. Not only that, the script also has the perfect amount of humor. The entire story here is nearly flawless. I also feel incredibly obligated to point out director Daniel Roher’s filmmaking. There are so many beautiful shots of New York City in this film & such great cinematography. Roher drenches this film in so many spontaneous shots & different lenses- not to mention a handful of wide shots of concert halls & mansions that really took my breath away. It’s part of why I say this film feels like a ‘70s film. Everything felt real. All that said, I think the best part of this movie is the performances. Leo Woodall is an actor I’ve grown familiar with over the last few years. But this film stands out amongst all of his prior work. He is totally worthy of being this film’s lead, he commands this movie from start to finish & he brings a sensitivity to Niki that forces the audience into Niki’s shoes. His performance blew me away. As did Havana Rose Liu’s work as Ruthie. She was sharp, quick-witted, and in the end, emotionally devastating. Lastly, a word on one of my favorite actors of all time, 88 year old 2 x Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman. I love this man. He’s one of the finest actors I’ve ever seen. And while Hoffman isn’t in this film nearly as much as I would’ve liked, his presence is felt from the opening frame to the final shot. This film didn’t need Dustin Hoffman to earn my approval. But the fact Hoffman is in the mix & giving a rock-solid performance while approaching 90? It just makes this film that much better.  Seeing this in a sold-out theater was unforgettable. What a film.

Vito dumb asf for doing that in Jersey. Like dude... go on vacation.

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The San Diego Padres are in talks with closer Mason Miller to make him the highest paid relief pitcher of all time. Miller is rumored to make north of $300M through 2035 once the deal is finalized.

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