SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL — In Mary Bronstein’s film, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” Linda (Rose Byrne) is at her wit’s end as she tries to juggle managing her daughter’s illness, her absent husband’s nagging, an escalating situation at work and her frequently unhelpful therapist (an often frustratingly-blank Conan O’Brien). Everything comes crashing down on Linda’s head — literally — when the roof of her apartment caves in, forcing her to live temporarily in a motel with her daughter.
Perception is reality. From her child’s doctor to her own therapy patient Caroline (Danielle Macdonald), this idea is emphasized to Linda numerous times in the first act of “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.” Although she seems to not be sold on the idea in both scenes, Linda’s perception of the world around her undoubtedly colors much of the film, immersing viewers in her subjective reality.
The camera almost never reveals Linda’s daughter’s face, instead choosing to focus on smaller details — hands playing with food or holding a box, feet dangling above water, etc. Linda’s preoccupations and concerns about her (nameless) daughter are of course her focus, but by extension, they’re the audience’s focus as well. Her daughter’s shrill yelling and anxiety-fueled questions are a near-constant audio backdrop to their scenes together, revealing both Linda’s concern and her annoyance with her child.
Linda, who blames herself for her child’s unspecified illness, cannot bear to look at her — so we don’t get to see her, either. In fact, the camera lingers on Linda in most scenes, with extreme close-ups highlighting her emotions. Byrne’s performance is both intense and nuanced. In the film’s opening scene — a family therapy session with Linda, her daughter and her daughter’s doctor — Byrne delivers a stunning portrayal of deep, underlying sadness, her eyes just endless pools of sorrow despite her attempts to put up a front for the doctor.
But perception is only reality until reality hits. In a pivotal scene at the top of the third act involving Linda’s husband (Christian Slater), we no longer see the world through Linda; rather, we see how Linda is perceived by the world. This switch, while conceptually interesting, causes the rest of the third act to feel both rushed and underdeveloped. Threads established earlier in the film very nearly wrap up. In some cases, they do come together, such as with James, a long-term resident of the motel (a somehow both over-present and under-utilized A$AP Rocky). But in general, the consistent points of conflict and tension surrounding Linda throughout the film, involving Caroline and her therapist in particular, feel short-changed by the quick ending.
Byrne’s exceptional performance is the one through-line in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.” Linda has an incredibly complicated relationship with motherhood, which Byrne expresses through pain and regret-filled conversations with her therapist and exhausted sighs between sips of wine. Linda takes every opportunity she can to have a moment alone from her daughter, yet feels immensely guilty every time she does. Whenever she’s eating, she shovels food into her mouth like she’s running out of time — but based on how busy she’s forced to be, maybe she is. Frustration bleeds through Linda’s pleas amidst tantrums, yet when her daughter causes her to drop a pizza on the ground, she responds with light jests — not a hint of anger in her voice.
Byrne’s performance, as powerful it is, is unfortunately not enough to tie together the disjointed plot points in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.” There are numerous fantastical and horror-adjacent elements of the film that pack an emotional punch but fall apart if analyzed for even a second, from mysterious ceiling holes to umbilical cord metaphors.
“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” which premiered here on Jan. 24 and is set to be distributed by A24, is a well-directed if underwritten and occasionally erratic film. Its ideological suggestions pose interesting questions to its audience, but are frequently lacking in follow-through. Byrne is brilliant as Linda, but her interactions with the people around her feel unequal in weight, a result of filmic style and writing choices rather than performances.
At the very least, though, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” is an unexpected, conversation-starting film that will take audiences on a ride through the intense trials and tribulations of Linda’s struggle with motherhood. While it could be written off as being “weird” for the sake of it, there are certainly viewers who will enjoy its up-for-interpretation qualities. When the emotion of the film lands, it does so in full force, creating a poignant but inconsistent flow that will have audiences wanting more, but feeling nonetheless full as they pick apart the various metaphorical elements. “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” is not a film for everyone, but if it lands with you — and it certainly might — you’ll be thinking about it for days to come.