"while not aligning with my personal taste, undeniably achieves its intended impact"

Premiering at this year’s Berlinale Official Competition, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You is a film that, while not aligning with my personal taste, undeniably achieves its intended impact. Directed by Mary Bronstein, the movie immerses the audience in the overwhelming world of Linda (Rose Byrne), a therapist and mother teetering on the edge of a breakdown.

From the outset, the film employs relentless close-up shots, keeping the camera fixed on Linda for the majority of its runtime. This stylistic choice effectively pulls viewers into her claustrophobic reality, amplifying feelings of frustration, mental exhaustion, and discomfort. It’s clear that Bronstein’s aim was to make the audience experience Linda’s turmoil firsthand, and in that regard, the film succeeds.

Rose Byrne delivers a compelling performance, capturing the raw intensity of a woman pushed to her limits. However, this intense focus on Linda’s deteriorating mental state contributes to a suffocating atmosphere that may be overwhelming for some viewers.

While the film is a well-executed exercise in style, it occasionally feels more like a prolonged study of distress than a fully developed narrative. The pacing is deliberately slow, especially in the beginning, which can test the audience’s patience.