By Juniper Gardner, First Year Philosophy and Politics
What is the price of silence? Leonardo Van Dijl seeks to answer this question in his directorial debut Julie Keeps Quiet, a film I was lucky enough to see in advance of its UK cinematic release thanks to the amazing people at Watershed.
In an exclusive tennis academy, tennis prodigy Julie (Tessa Van den Broeck) faces a difficult choice when her tennis coach is suspended following the death of a past student. Through academic struggles and strained familial relationships, the films explores the ways in which trauma manifests for Julie as she contemplates whether or not to keep quiet about her own experiences with her coach Jeremy (Laurent Caron).
Premiering at Cannes Film Festival, during a time enamoured with the sexy, sweaty stylings of Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers (2024), Van Dijl’s subtle yet powerful psychological tennis drama exists as an antithesis to the vibrant, dynamic films that have defined cinema in the last year. With such intense films like The Substance (2024) and Anora (2024) snatching Academy Awards, Van Dijl’s muted masterpiece is an exercise in subtlety, something that cinema often lacks today.
Balancing the demands of schoolwork with her intense tennis training, we see Julie’s attempt to navigate life after abuse. The journey she undertakes, from denial to acceptance, is portrayed beautifully by Van den Broeck in her outstanding debut role. In an intimate film so concentrated on its protagonist, Van den Broeck’s stirring performance delivers in every aspect. The nuance she brings to Julie truly brings the titular character to life, making her story much more painful. Shot on film, Van Dijl stated in an interview that every frame, every moment needed to have intent (such is the downfall of working with such an expensive medium – no room for error). Van den Broeck’s performance ensures this, with every second that she occupies in the film serving a purpose, a feat difficult in a film brimming with scenes of monotonous daily life.
Silence is a notable aspect of the film, permeating almost every scene. From a sparse soundtrack to long shots devoid of dialogue, you are forced to sit with and acknowledge Julie’s inner turmoil, whether she should take action or remain silent. With a lack of stimuli to distract yourself with, this could become tedious and repetitive, but the lush, atmospheric sounds of Julie’s environment succeed in pulling you back in as a viewer, allowing you to share Julie’s feelings of suffocation.
This silence, I feel, successfully contrasts with the tumult inside Julie. Her one-track mindedness with tennis, being both the cause of her distress (with regards to her suspended coach, Jeremy) and her remedy (in getting her through her turmoil), is emphasised greatly by the absence of constant conversation. Between scenes of stress, brief moments of Julie walking her dog, or of her going for a run, drive home the idea that she is constantly plagued by her decision. Not for a moment is she able to escape her inner conflict. In shots of her in class or working out - brief moments where she can lose herself - we the viewer observe from behind or to the side of her, positioned almost as a niggling reminder. It is only at the film's end, when Julie reaches a decision, that we cease to be a part of her life.
Julie Keeps Quiet is, in essence, a testament to the hardships survivors have to endure. It is a breath of fresh air in a genre that too often relies on shock-value. Its long-shots of the environment filled with ambience, and its depiction of daily life and routine, do mean, however, that some may find it falls flat or drags on. However, I would definitely recommend this film, especially one worth a trip to the cinema as its a much richer experience in an immersive big-screen atmosphere.
Julie Keeps Quiet is on at Watershed from 25th April until at least 1st May. You can grab your tickets here, with £5 tickets for anyone 24 and under!
