In the film *If I Had Legs I’d Kick You*, we only see Linda’s (Rose Byrne) daughter’s face briefly. Throughout the rest of the movie, the child, played by Delaney Quinn, is shown in pieces – a close-up of her hands at a buffet, the back of her ear, or her voice from the car. Though never explicitly stated, the daughter seems to have ARFID, a severe eating disorder, requiring a feeding tube and nightly nutrient infusions. This is happening at an already difficult time for Linda, who is a single parent while her husband, a ship captain, is away at sea. To make matters worse, the ceiling in their apartment collapsed, forcing them to stay in a motel. The stress of all this affects the film’s visual style, creating a sense of distance from the daughter and focusing the camera intensely on Linda’s face. While some films confront difficult moments head-on, *If I Had Legs I’d Kick You* uses its cinematography to powerfully portray Linda’s self-loathing and anxiety, leaving little space for anything else in the frame.
Mary Bronstein’s new film, *If I Had Legs I’d Kick You*, is her second feature after 2008’s *Yeast*, a comedy where she also acted. *Yeast* was labeled as mumblecore due to its low-budget style and the presence of a young Greta Gerwig, but it differed from that movement’s focus on aimless conversations. Bronstein intentionally created a more aggressive and often unpleasant tone, and her new film, though more polished and featuring bigger names, maintains that same confrontational energy. Much of this tension comes from the main character, Linda, who constantly burdens others with her problems. She gets upset about something as minor as parking, dismisses kindness from a neighbor (A$AP Rocky), and even seeks out a therapist (a hilariously frustrated Conan O’Brien) just so she can be told what to do.
Linda is a challenging character, but the film draws you into her intense emotional state, forcing you to feel her constant anxiety and desperation, which she tries to numb with drugs and alcohol – a coping mechanism that only makes things worse. Naomi Byrne’s performance is inseparable from the film’s structure, and she fully commits to portraying this woman on the edge. It’s a raw, unflattering performance often called ‘brave,’ but Byrne brilliantly balances the darkness with moments of surprising humor, showcasing a woman who is both fragile and falling apart. We see Linda’s unraveling in everyday moments – throwing a tantrum over wine at the front desk, appearing disheveled and apathetic towards her clients at work. She’s deeply unhappy and struggling, but there’s a strange respect earned for her spectacularly bad choices, like sneaking off to get high or trying to buy her daughter’s cooperation with a hamster. The film creates a sense of constant tension as Linda careens toward disaster, reminiscent of the anxiety in *Uncut Gems* (with Josh Safdie as a producer). She doesn’t handle her difficulties with dignity or composure; she lashes out, convinced the universe is against her.
The film’s origins lie in societal pressures and the unsupportive men in Linda’s life, who show impatience with her struggles. She also battles an internal belief that she’s somehow failed her child, both in addressing the disorder and preventing it initially. Along with Lynne Ramsay’s *Die My Love*, *If I Had Legs I’d Kick You* is one of two recent films that honestly portray the complex and often ambivalent feelings of motherhood. Both films express a powerful anger at the unrealistic expectations placed on mothers, but their power comes from a deeper, more instinctive sense of injustice that goes beyond simple sexism. It’s notable that these stories center on privileged white women, while mothers like Teyana Taylor’s character in *One Battle After Another* face much harsher judgment for similar struggles, likely stemming from postpartum depression. However, both films feel somewhat incomplete, as if they’re searching for a resolution they can’t quite reach. Perhaps that’s intentional—Linda, despite her difficulties, understands she must continue to fulfill her responsibilities each day.
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2025-10-10 18:54