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The Unique and Experimental Style of “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”

Written by Aria Eyde. Graphic by Laura Garcia.

On the third day of the Savannah Film Festival, lines wrapped around the Trustees theater in the rain to see “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.” In front of an audience brimming with anticipation, Director Mary Bronstein walked across the stage and delivered a small preface for the film: “I want you to think of the worst thing that’s ever happened to you in your entire life.” In an anxiety-filled and complex piece, Bronstein pulls apart uniquely personal yet entirely truthful human emotions, allowing the discomfort to create an intricate work of art.

The story follows Linda (Rose Byrne) and her struggle to juggle taking care of her sick daughter, a collapsing house and her husband’s absence. At first glance, this may seem like a simple story of an overwhelmed mother, but it manages to be so much more than that. With creative camera angles, interesting cinematography and a range across genres, Bronstein creates something that stands out with her experimental style.

First of all, a majority of the film was shot in either close-ups or extreme close-ups, with a direct focus on Linda. This almost seems to reflect a first-person viewpoint, which is popular in novels but nearly unheard of in film. This unique approach immediately establishes a closeness with Linda that lets her character be intimately understood. In the following interview, Byrne joked, “I got to know the camera department very well.”

But this wasn’t the only thing notable about the camera angles. It’s impossible to ignore that a central character to the piece, Linda’s daughter, was in nearly every scene, yet her face was not shown. Bronstein noted that this was a moment where she told the crew, “trust me,” taking a risk with the strategy. And it worked. This tactic created a closer focus on the character of Linda while similarly demonstrating her dissociation from her daughter. It was as if her fear and avoidance of her daughter’s situation were shown through the camera, mirroring Linda’s vision. It isn’t until the end, when she finally stops running, that we see the daughter’s face.

The film moves across genres, with a dramatic focus that somehow manages to be comedic and psychological, even incorporating elements of horror. Byrne is well known for her roles in comedy, notably as the perfect and cunning Helen in “Bridesmaids.” It was incredible, then, to see her play such a raw and emotional character that was distinctively imperfect. Byrne’s performance in this piece was spectacular, showcasing her talent in dramatic pieces similar to her work on “Physical.” However, there was a notable comedic subtlety that gave relief to the otherwise serious tone and let Byrne’s background in the genre shine. Bronstein noted that this was one of the reasons she wanted Byrne for the character of Linda.

A film that took 8 years to make, yet was somehow filmed in 27 days, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” is a truly creative project that blends genre, style and human emotion to create something special. Bronstein’s unique vision carried this film through its truthfulness and vulnerability, creating something that is just as terrifying as it is beautiful.