If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Rose Byrne gives a brilliant, harrowing turn as a frazzled mother being put through the wringer in this impeccably put-together black comedy that's as repellent as it is compelling
Mary Bronstein’s portrait of a mother pushed to her limits would be almost comedic in extremity were it not for the brutal, brilliant construction of its cyclone of horrors. If I Had Legs I’d Kick You is a relentless assault on the senses, at times almost unwatchable. However, the committed performances (notably a harrowing turn from Rose Byrne as Linda, the mother in question) and the skill of the design team make for compelling, if often repellent, viewing.
Linda’s daughter – her face never seen, her voice and limbs omnipresent – suffers from a feeding disorder that requires a tube and daily hospital visits. With her husband away at sea and her apartment ceiling collapsing in a flood, she has to manage her daughter’s health regimen from a noisy motel room. Beyond caring, her work as a therapist puts her as the main support for vulnerable adults – most prominently young mother Caroline (Danielle Macdonald). With her own support network limited to an exasperated colleague (Conan O’Brien) and the motel superintendent (A$AP Rocky), Linda’s ability to hold her life and self together – fragile from the opening scene – careens into uncharted chaos.
Lucian Johnston's editing and Christopher Messina's cinematography, in conjunction with the sound team, create a hellscape whose only relief is bleak humour. If I Had Legs I’d Kick You suffers only from a formulaic reveal of past trauma and a somewhat contrived ending; in other ways, the film is impeccable. Few will want to watch this more than once.
Released 20 Feb by Picturehouse; certificate 15