It may not be a barrel of laughs, but Mary Bronstein’s acclaimed indie If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, which centers on a widely lauded performance by Rose Byrne as a woman whose life is literally and figuratively crashing down around her, has been submitted for Golden Globes consideration in the musical or comedy categories rather than drama categories, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The A24 release, Bronstein’s second feature and first in 17 years, had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and then played at the Berlin and Telluride film fests. Byrne, who appears in virtually every scene of the film, usually in a tight close-up, was awarded Berlin’s Silver Bear for best leading performance for her turn as Linda, a therapist who has a client (Danielle Macdonald) behaving oddly; a wife whose husband (Christian Slater) has gone out of town at a most inopportune time; and a mother who is forced to relocate with her sickly daughter to a motel run run by some colorful characters (including A$AP Rocky).
In a review out of Sundance, The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney wrote, “Byrne’s high-wire act remains riveting… It’s a bruising performance, digging deep into the intense pressure and isolation that can sometimes accompany motherhood with a mercilessness that makes Nightbitch look tame, while not excluding compassion. You feel for Linda as she struggles to keep her head from exploding when blinkered men fail to get just how crazy-making responsibility for a small child can be.”
The film, which will be released in theaters on Oct. 10, stands at a formidable 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Other top contenders for the musical or comedy Golden Globes are expected to include Bugonia, Is This Thing On?, Jay Kelly, Marty Supreme, The Naked Gun, Rental Family, Wake Up Dead Man and Wicked: For Good.
