One of the buzziest titles and frankly best films in the independent space this year has been Mary Bronstein’s anxiety-driven odyssey through motherhood, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.” Since its Sundance premiere nearly a year ago, the film has maintained a presence in the film world, particularly around the titanic central performance of Rose Byrne. Many have hoped, and with each new awards body announced, it seems more suspect that Byrne’s incredible work will be recognized come Oscar morning. It’s been a point of uncertainty and debate all year, mainly due to the film’s uncomfortable, potentially off-putting nature and Byrne’s career so far receiving little award recognition. However, with her nomination hopefully coming into focus as we get closer to the Oscar nominations announcement, it’s fair to look at what else Bronstein’s sophomore feature should be recognized for, even if the specific nominations are as long shots as they can be.
The film comes seventeen years after Bronstein’s striking micro-budget debut, “Yeast,” which featured appearances by the Safdie Brothers, close friends of hers, whose signature style can be compared to that of “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.” The film is stressful to a torturous degree, and much of its effectiveness is understandably credited to the incredible desperation in Rose Byrne’s performance, but there are many technical elements that enhance and bring that feeling to life and perhaps deserve more credit than they’re currently receiving. The sound work is not only incredibly effective but also incredibly memorable. So many minute sounds are highlighted to overwhelm the audience or add a visceral quality to even the smallest of actions. Small things like a fork hitting a table are more pronounced to attack the audience, and with all the overlapping scenes and built-up stress, these sounds begin to layer atop one another, in Bronstein’s wonderfully twisted goal of overstimulating the viewer and further putting them in Byrne’s head. That’s another significant aspect of the sound work: how the film keeps you within Byrne’s perspective and thoughts. Even though her daughter’s voice is left distant, it feels so close and real, and it is done intentionally and effectively. At the same time, it’s far from the type of showy sound work that would get recognized at the Oscars, or frankly, any big awards body; it’s work that should be recognized and shouted out by anybody who has a ballot and an empty slot in the category.
The same goes, basically hand in hand with the film’s incredible editing, a strong balancing act that is pulled off marvelously. The way the film juggles all the different aspects of Byrne’s schedule and cuts back and forth between them while the anxiety heightens is such a tightrope walk that builds upon itself so enjoyably and effectively horrifically to watch. The same way people praise the editing in “Uncut Gems” and “Good Time,” and even already starting to celebrate this year’s “Marty Supreme,” the work in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” should be similarly celebrated, as it is just as good. The other tech that deserves a shoutout is the production design, mainly for two standout sets: the house and the office. The hole in the house Byrne is forced out of is super eerie and called back to through most of the film. It’s an incredibly striking image, and how it changes throughout the film is fascinating to watch. The office is a funny set and, frankly, not particularly noteworthy visually, but the comical nature of Byrne working in the same building as her own therapist is a nice touch, with some great visual and conceptual comedy. Similar to sound, it’s not a category that would ever get any big nomination with what tends to get nominated. Still, the work is creative and striking enough that some critics’ nominations or even some votes thrown its way would be incredibly deserved.
“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” is simply one of the year’s best films and one that will probably have one of the richest legacies. While so much of the attention is deservedly going towards Rose Byrne’s generational work, the fact that things like Picture, Director, Screenplay, and the mentioned crafts aren’t also in the conversation is quite sad. Mary Bronstein’s screenplay and direction are so singular and so extraordinary that the film has its own visual and narrative language that deserves to be celebrated more. While the direction of the season doesn’t point to much of the film getting its due, we will take solace in the incredible lead performance, hopefully getting called out Oscar morning, and Bronstein’s name and talent getting put in front of even more eyes. However, any voters in any body who are looking for persuasion to vote for it in categories they’re struggling to fill out, hopefully, praise like this can nudge them in the right direction.
Have you seen “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” yet? If so, what do you think of it? Do you think it will get any other awards recognition outside of Rose Byrne? Do you have Byrne predicted to be nominated for Best Actress? Please let us know in the comments section below and on Next Best Picture’s X account and check out the team’s latest Oscar predictions here.
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