A movie where Edward Cullen and Katniss Everdeen have a baby would be a much bigger deal if Die My Love came out in 2012. Robert Pattinson has come a long way since his Twilight days. Even as the face of a young adult phenomenon, Jennifer Lawrence continued to push herself as an actress. Rarely have we seen her go further than in Lynne Ramsay’s dark domestic dramedy. This may be Lawrence’s most physically demanding and emotionally exhausting role since Darren Aronofsky’s Mother!. Fittingly, motherhood is also at the center of Die My Love.
Lawrence plays the ironically named Grace. Along with her boyfriend Jackson (Robert Pattinson), she moves into a dilapidated home where his uncle killed himself. There are no neighbors in sight, just weed-ridden fields. Grace only feels more isolated as Jackson departs for work, leaving her alone with their newborn. Jackson gets a dog to keep her company, but it barks nonstop to the point that we almost side with Grace when she goes for the shotgun… almost. Grace is the real animal, spiraling out of control in scenes that occasionally feel improvised on Lawrence’s part.
Die My Love comes out on the heels of If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, starring Rose Byrne. Both center on mothers coming undone, although in Byrne’s case, her young daughter was at the root of her breakdown. Despite being irresponsible, you do get the sense that Grace loves her baby. She even says at one point that her baby isn’t the problem. It’s everything else around her. That said, Grace demonstrates clear signs of postpartum depression. Whatever her diagnosis is, she’s a danger to her child and herself. Even with professional help, there may be only one way out for Grace.
Between these two films, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You feels more consistent and focused. There’s a subplot involving a character played by LaKeith Stanfield that doesn’t go anywhere. I actually forgot he was even in the movie until looking up the cast list just now. Sissy Spacek and Nick Nolte also feel underutilized as Jackson’s parents, although they make the most of their limited screen time. This is mainly Lawrence’s show, and as fearless as she is here, Grace’s downfall can become meandering after a while. Die My Love is essentially two hours of a woman drifting through life without direction. Then again, that might be the point.
Director Lynne Ramsay previously brought us psychological dramas like We Need to Talk About Kevin and You Were Never Really Here. Her work tends to deal with themes such as parenthood, depression, and a struggle to communicate, all of which are present in Die My Love, as well. While there’s a raw honesty to how Ramsay’s films explore human nature, they’re almost purposely distancing. As such, Die My Love is another film that audiences will either love or hate. I fall more in the middle, as it is relentlessly off-putting even by Ramsay’s standards. With Lawrence’s magnificent turn front and center, though, there’s just enough to love.