Nothing can prepare you for the uncontrolled power and energy that actor Rose Byrne brings to If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, a film that aims to shock its audience and succeeds in doing so. The Australian actor, who you may remember from Bridesmaids, gives her all in a full-bodied performance of a woman who endures one panic attack after another as her days merge into night, and after a point there’s no difference. You have no other choice but to follow him.
Mary Bronstein’s deep, uncompromising vision demands full attention – this is a portrait of a woman stretched to her limits, forced to maintain her composure even when she knows her life is falling apart. What can she do? His Linda causes harm to whatever she touches.
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A series of unfortunate events begins when the roof of Linda’s apartment collapses, forcing her to rent a motel across the street. Her husband is out of the station and is not getting any help even after calling. His young daughter (Delaney Quinn) needs his attention around the clock, as she won’t eat anything and has to be fed through a tube. She works as a therapist, but the cruel joke Bornstein plays here is that Linda herself needs immediate medical attention. Linda also seeks help from her company’s other medical practitioner, played diligently by Conan O’Brien.
But none of this is helping her, and Linda can’t afford any advice as her life spins out of control. She is constantly on the brink, worried that her daughter (who has been wisely kept out of sight) will not meet medical deadlines for the upcoming procedure. Rude, rude, angry and bitter all at the same time, Linda is a hot mess. Some glimpse of kindness is offered by the motel’s newbie neighbor, James (A$AP Rocky), but Linda doesn’t know what to do with it.
Bornstein, working here with cinematographer Christopher Messina, is unforgiving in his portrayal of this poor woman. This is a film that wants to take you into the mindset of this woman. From the first frame, the viewer is held close in a tight shot, as it lingers on Byrne’s unpainted face. From there, the filmmaker takes no easy shortcuts, no cheesy flashbacks, no lazy revelations. She wants you to accept the difficulty, to test and stretch the audience’s patience with a woman who has no desire to please.
Rose Byrne deserves all the praise (and awards)
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You is a bold, ruthless experiment in a film that can often come across as too intrusive and unforgiving; Fortunately, however, Bornstein never lets go of the thread of sympathy, even in the most horrific moments. What do we want from Linda? What should he do to get better? We cannot know him completely, and at least we can be right next to him, even if from a distance.
The performance was successful largely due to Rose Byrne’s committed performance. It’s amazing to see her as a woman with no strings attached, who is completely and heartbreakingly lost in a patriarchal society that prefers easy answers and nods from mothers. They should care, they should know the answers, they should smile. They should never leave the child alone. “Just tell me what to do! Why won’t someone tell me what to do?” Linda screams. Just the look of empty helplessness in her eyes, the way Linda talks lovingly to her daughter even while still being chased, every moment here is so important and full of life. This is a great performance in an important film that commands your full attention.