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Kate Beckinsale's lead character, Ada is about as intimidating as a bag of spinach, in this truly awful, tough girl action flick. There is little to like here. An unoriginal story with a dash of casual misandry, meets what could best be described, as an unintentional satire of "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels". Perhaps the only upside, is the actions not wholly awful but it doesn't really make up, for this films deficits, in most other respects. In summary, yet another hammy girl boss action flick, no one asked for, much less wanted.

If this doesn’t get Ethan Hawke some statuettes this coming winter, then I don’t know what will. He is on great form delivering a pithy series of monologues as if he really were the renowned lyricist Larry Hart. Most of this is told by way of his chat with his favourite barman “Eddie” (Bobby Cannavale) whilst he is waiting for the after show party for “Oklahoma!” to begin. He had famously worked with Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott) for many a year, but this latter man had become tired of his booze-driven histrionics and so teamed up with Oscar Hammerstein II (Simon Delaney) for this latest offering. Now right from the start, I rather liked the enigmatic and flawed Hart. Not least because his critique on “Oklahoma!” is perfectly summed up by his description of an elephant marauding the corn fields of the USA getting poked in the eye by an ear. Just in case we do need some reminding of his previous successes, “Knuckles” (Jonah Lees), gently serenades us with some piano accompaniment as a few additional conversations with the likes of acclaimed writer EB White (Patrick Kennedy), his ambitious muse “Elizabeth” (Margaret Qualley) and, of course, with his erstwhile partner play out with varying degrees of honesty and/or self pity. I actually felt that though doubtless with just cause, it was Scott’s subtle yet devastatingly brutal effort as Rodgers that ensured that he actually came across as a rather unfeeling and ungrateful character as we all see the obvious despair on the face of an Hart who is struggling to deal with his isolation and his lack of relevance. How the mighty are falling. The dialogue is sharp and witty and the whole production shines quite a light on what it is to become yesterday’s man. There are allusions to his sexuality, but these are wrapped in a more sexually confused depiction of a man who felt that he could find beauty in man or woman, and again that ambiguity is well crafted by an Hawke who manages to combine our feelings of sympathy for his character with those of irritation. In many ways this looks like a cinema presentation of a theatrical enterprise, and is delivered in segments that could easily have been lifted directly from the stage, but in this case that structured form of scene-based storytelling seems all the more apposite and I really quite enjoyed this.

In an age where life’s everyday challenges can test our wits, becoming overwhelmed is a real possibility when they pile up. Just ask Linda (Rose Byrne), a therapist who struggles to sincerely and sensitively assist her troubled patients. But that’s just the start of her problems. She’s also tending to a sick child (Delaney Quinn), the demands of which are considerable, both from the whiny, often-unappreciative youngster and her annoyingly insistent caregivers. To make matters worse, a burst pipe in the ceiling of her apartment has forced mother and child to move into a hotel, a stay that’s become unexpectedly extended due to the lack of repair work by her inattentive landlord. And, through all of these ordeals, Linda is on her own, given that her unfeeling husband (Christian Slater) is frequently away on business. As a consequence, this palette of issues has forced Linda into therapy herself with a peer counselor (Conan O”Brien), whose incessant indifference not only offers little help, but also tends to exacerbate the stress in her life. Over time, the specific pressures associated with each of these incidents begin to snowball, making coping nearly impossible. And, as time passes, Linda feels as though she’s losing herself and descending into her own personal madness. So what is she to do? That’s what this intense offering from actress-writer-director Mary Bronstein seeks to explore. This exceedingly dark comedy-drama examines what a woman on the edge might go through as the breaking point approaches. There’s an undeniably raw, edgy, realistic quality to this release, one that sometimes makes this a decidedly uncomfortable watch. The barrage of challenges to simply get through the day keeps coming at the protagonist (and, hence, viewers) relentlessly, presented here in nonstop fashion at breakneck speed. And it seems that, no matter what good faith efforts Linda makes to resolve her dilemmas, they’re never enough, often exposing her to petty, undue criticism that, in turn, prompt undue, unfair and unfounded accusations of blame and shame. All of these foregoing attributes are routinely intensified by the picture’s regular use of macabre comic relief, serving up laughs about incidents and subjects that many of us might genuinely feel guilty chuckling about. But this film’s real standout asset is the superb performance turned in by Byrne, easily the best work of her career and handily worthy of awards consideration, capably backed by Quinn, O’Brien and other cast members in fine supporting portrayals. To be sure, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” won’t suit everyone, and even avid cinephiles may at times find their patience, tolerance and sensibilities sufficiently challenged. Nevertheless, this is one of those “sign of the times” pictures that unflinchingly exposes much of what’s wrong with contemporary society and that we’d all be wise to take seriously if we ever hope to see improvement in a world where a lack of compassion, understanding and support are being allowed to run rampant. It’s no wonder that so many of us might feel like kicking back under conditions like this. Indeed, maybe it’s time we should all seek to grow some legs of our own.