Movie Reviews
FILM REVIEW: Leonardo van Dijl's 'Julie Keeps Quiet' – The Berkshire Edge
Some small lowkey movies rarely make a ripple. But I just screened a tight, realistically shot Belgian film by a first-time director, Leonardo van Dijl, that, if not greatly ambitious, looks strikingly disciplined and impressive. “Julie Keeps Quiet” centers on a talented teenage tennis player, superbly performed by Tessa Van den Broeck, who is building a future career by concentrating all her energy on her game. The discipline is not only physical but also emotional; Julie maintains a tight lid, despite much questioning, on the churning anxiety that permeates her existence. However, we discover that her self-control is more a defense against emotional collapse than the nature of her personality.
Julie is generally liked by the other tennis players, but she is somewhat of an outsider, given that she is a scholarship player subsidized by the tuition fees of the wealthy kids who are at the tennis academy. More significantly, there are traumatic events that occur like the suicide of a 16-year-old girl, Aline, coached by the same man, Jeremy, who coaches Julie. We never fully learn exactly how Jeremy behaved towards Julie, for her lips remain sealed, but we know his coercive behavior is clearly more than open to suspicion. (He does keep in touch with her and meets with her in one scene, where you can see how controlling he is.) One can also place blame on the tennis academy, which treats the development of top-rate talent as taking precedence over the protection of the teenage tennis players. However, the film’s emphasis is not on the tennis academy’s ambitious goals or Julie’s parents and fellow players, who are barely developed characters.
It is Julie working out in the gym, doing physical therapy for an injury and practicing her serves, that is central here. The film doesn’t conclude with Julie breaking down and revealing all. It thoroughly understands the confusion of a teenager, who is conflicted and unable to take a clear stand and is frightened that her tennis career will be undermined. It is a keenly observed first film that moves one to look forward to the director’s future work. The film will play on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
U.S. Premiere Report:
#MSG Review: Free Flowing Chiru Fun
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It’s an easy, fun festive watch with a better first half that presents Chiru in a free-flowing, at-ease with subtle humor. On the flip side, much-anticipated Chiru-Venky track is okay, which could have elevated the second half.
#AnilRavipudi gets the credit for presenting Chiru in his best, most likable form, something that was missing from his comeback.
With a simple story, fun moments and songs, this has enough to become a commercial success this #Sankranthi
Rating: 2.5/5
First Half Report:
#MSG Decent Fun 1st Half!
Chiru’s restrained body language and acting working well, paired with consistent subtle humor along with the songs and the father’s emotion which works to an extent, though the kids’ track feels a bit melodramatic – all come together to make the first half a decent fun, easy watch.
– Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu show starts with Anil Ravipudi-style comedy, with his signature backdrop, a gang, and silly gags, followed by a Megastar fight and a song. Stay tuned for the report.
U.S. Premiere begins at 10.30 AM EST (9 PM IST). Stay tuned Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu review, report.
Cast: Megastar Chiranjeevi, Venkatesh Daggubati, Nayanthara, Catherine Tresa
Writer & Director – Anil Ravipudi
Producers – Sahu Garapati and Sushmita Konidela
Presents – Smt.Archana
Banners – Shine Screens and Gold Box Entertainments
Music Director – Bheems Ceciroleo
Cinematographer – Sameer Reddy
Production Designer – A S Prakash
Editor – Tammiraju
Co-Writers – S Krishna, G AdiNarayana
Line Producer – Naveen Garapati
U.S. Distributor: Sarigama Cinemas
Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu Movie Review by M9
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Welcome to an exciting year-long project here at The Nerdy. 1986 was an exciting year for films giving us a lot of films that would go on to be beloved favorites and cult classics. It was also the start to a major shift in cultural and societal norms, and some of those still reverberate to this day.
We’re going to pick and choose which movies we hit, but right now the list stands at nearly four dozen.
Yes, we’re insane, but 1986 was that great of a year for film.
The articles will come out – in most cases – on the same day the films hit theaters in 1986 so that it is their true 40th anniversary. All films are also watched again for the purposes of these reviews and are not being done from memory. In some cases, it truly will be the first time we’ve seen them.
This time around, it’s Jan. 10, 1986, and we’re off to see Black Moon Rising.
Black Moon Rising
What was the obsession in the 1980s with super vehicles?
Sam Quint (Tommy Lee Jones) is hired to steal a computer tape with evidence against a company on it. While being pursued, he tucks it in the parachute of a prototype vehicle called the Black Moon. While trying to retrieve it, the car is stolen by Nina (Linda Hamilton), a car thief working for a car theft ring. Both of them want out of their lives, and it looks like the Black Moon could be their ticket out.
Blue Thunder in the movies, Airwolf and Knight Rider on TV, the 1980s loved an impractical ‘super’ vehicle. In this case, the car plays a very minor role up until the final action set piece, and the story is far more about the characters and their motivations.
The movie is silly as you would expect it to be, but it is never a bad watch. It’s just not anything particularly memorable.
1986 Movie Reviews will continue on Jan. 17, 2026, with The Adventures of the American Rabbit, The Adventures of Mark Twain, The Clan of the Cave Bear, Iron Eagle, The Longshot, and Troll.
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