‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’: Sundance Review

Dir/scr: Mary Bronstein. US. 2024. 113mins 

Motherhood turns into a psychological battleground in writer-director Mary Bronstein’s gripping second function, which casts Rose Byrne as a working mum or dad unable to gradual her downward spiral. If I Had Legs I’d Kick You places us within the frenzied head of its principal character, who loses her equilibrium after a collection of accidents, stresses and poor choices places her at a breaking level. The movie begins off at most depth and solely will increase from there, analyzing parental guilt and our self-help tradition as Byrne’s character implodes. 

Byrne is uncooked, brittle and believably risky

Following Bronstein’s 2018 debut Yeast, and premiering in Sundance earlier than taking part in Berlin competitors and releasing within the US by means of A24, If I Had Legs is produced by Elara Footage, co-run by Uncut Gems’ co-director Josh Safdie and co-writer Ronald Bronstein (Mary’s husband), and one may actually view this movie as a religious cousin to that nerve-wracking portrait of a compulsive gambler. This movie is extra about its protagonist’s internal turmoil, nevertheless, and adventurous arthouse crowds needs to be captivated by the white-knuckle emotional journey. 

New York therapist Linda (Byrne) is elevating her younger, very sick daughter (Delaney Quinn) virtually on her personal. (Her husband Charlie, performed by Christian Slater, is only a voice on the telephone, at all times away for work.) Early on, her residence ceiling caves in after an enormous water leak, forcing them to remain in a seedy motel whereas she waits fruitlessly for her superintendent to repair the harm. However this is just one problem for Linda: she additionally should take care of a needy, presumably unstable consumer, Caroline (Danielle Macdonald); her personal more and more pissed off therapist (Conan O’Brien); and a involved doctor, Dr. Spring (Mary Bronstein), who insists that Linda make time to speak to her in regards to the little one’s mysterious ailment.

If I Had Legs opens tight on Linda’s drained, frantic eyes, setting the stage for the stress cooker the character finds herself in throughout the image’s runtime. Notably, we by no means see her little one’s face — or be taught her title — creating the impression that her daughter (whose anxious voice we incessantly hear) is extra of a stress abstraction continuously pulling on Linda. Lots of the individuals round Linda additionally go anonymous, including to the sense of disorientation accentuated by cinematographer Christopher Messina’s gritty lensing.

There was no scarcity of movies in regards to the challenges of motherhood, together with the current Nightbitch, however Bronstein has crafted one that’s notably unsettling due to its fascinating ambiguities. We be taught little about Linda’s backstory, and the writer-director by no means means that there’s something inherently ‘improper’ with Linda. And but, Byrne’s violently temperamental flip affords myriad hints about this high-strung, distracted character who leans on booze and medicines to calm herself when she’s not making an attempt pointless respiratory workout routines. There’s no aid for Linda, who should connect contemporary nutrient luggage to her daughter’s IV drip each night time whereas worrying the lady isn’t gaining sufficient weight, and her exhaustion and frayed psyche detract from each side of her life. (Caroline – additionally a struggling, overprotective younger mom – appears to be the one one among Linda’s sufferers to whom she provides even a modicum of focus.) 

Linda’s husband continuously berates her on the telephone, asking why she hasn’t made an appointment with Dr. Spring and why she allowed the outlet within the residence ceiling to get so huge. It makes no distinction which of Linda’s issues are her fault — she is blamed for all the things and, moreover, harbours guilt for her daughter’s situation. Bronstein (whose late mom was named Linda) pitilessly portrays fashionable motherhood as an unrelenting impediment course of tears, aggravation and failure, recognising the way it can continuously chip away at a girl’s psychological well being. At instances, Linda sees unusual visions — a product of her delirious state, maybe, or possibly an indication of one thing extra troubling — and Lucian Johnston’s jagged modifying solely amplifies the sensation of perpetual panic.

Byrne is uncooked, brittle and believably risky, bringing such immediacy and nervous power to each scene that we perceive why Linda can’t suppose straight — and why the seemingly simplest duties (like making an appointment with the physician) are past her. Veteran late-night host Conan O’Brien provides a tremendous flip as Linda’s weary therapist, who clearly shares some form of previous with this combative lady. And Macdonald provides a obligatory thematic layer taking part in one other flailing mom who, remarkably, could also be in even worse form than Linda. All through the movie, characters communicate within the touchy-feely language of self-care — remedy aphorisms, banal inspirational quotes — however nothing supplies solace. Linda is profoundly alone, making an attempt to maintain her head above water because the waves come crashing down.