Something of an “anti-rom-com,” Rare Beasts follows an overwhelmed single mother named Mandy (Piper), living in a self-destructive spiral of toxic parents (Kerry Fox, dying; David Thewlis, an arsehole), a grossly misogynistic workplace, and a difficult son who’s implicitly somewhere on the autism spectrum. As far as rom-coms go, the romance between the two feels rushed and the humor is pretty mean-spirited. The meta-comedy elements put up a barrier between Mandy and the audience, making it difficult to connect with her and the supporting cast.
Stylistically, Rare Beasts isn’t a shy film.It features some interesting editing choice, bold lighting and unflattering extreme close-ups. Mandy is a modern woman in a crisis. Piper’s directorial debut is bold in how jarring it wants to be, a representation of the confused and flawed heroine. It fails to be enjoyable on every front as each piece of its narrative feels like pieces from other better rom-coms. She isn’t ashamed to lay bare the anxieties that women feel from all the expectations laid on them. This is Billie Piper’s script and it’s just so damn incohesive. Given its short runtime, the film is very fast-paced due to its chaotic, manic, oddball energy. Overall, Rare Beasts is a raw, provocative depiction of modern relationships with a stand-out performance from Piper. But holy hell was that brief.Pete is written as the most shallow, misogynistic male I think I’ve ever seen in a rom-com. As a screenwriter, on the other hand… this ain’t it chief. Mandy (Piper) sits … I think she’s incredibly talented and she shows glimpses of potential as a filmmaker behind a camera. It’s crazy how spiteful this guy is and the fact that he brews a romance with her makes it feel as if a man wrote it… but a man didn’t write this. The Largest Collection of TV spoilers and show information for the most popular shows on TV. The world of Rare Beasts, to put it lightly, is an odd one.
Mandy (Billie Piper) is a cynical single mother and a proud nihilist. One scene where Mandy tries to make a television drama pitch to a male-dominated boardroom is blisteringly biting. Rare Beasts is a misfire of a romantic-comedy, going too far out of its way to be edgy and outrageous in service of its premise. The thin structure makes it hard to understand what the film is trying to say. It’s one thing to have aggression, but that aggression should have charm. It fails to please just about anyone.
Thewlis and Fox are underused as Mandy’s estranged parents, despite stealing the minimal scenes they are in. She delivers a flaw yet very sympathetic performance. Rare Beasts - Bille Piper's screenwriting and directorial feature debut - is an audacious new addition to the anti-romcoms of the 21st century. You can’t call your movie an “anti rom-com” when it just dives head first into the standard tropes and goes about them in the most shallow way imaginable. Piper may have made a better film if she had concentrated on the struggles of being a working mother rather than Mandy’s uncomfortable love life.There is also a fun cameo from Lily James as an insufferable bride at a wedding. By the midpoint — or, heck, 20 minutes in when she gives Pete another chance — she doesn’t seem like the same character she was established to be in the strong cold open where she’s on a terrible first date with him and she puts him in his place.
This is a world in which the dialogue is highly stylised, so no one ever particularly speaks in a pattern resembling normal behaviour. Pete is short-tempered, thinks women should stay in their traditional roles, can’t take criticism, physically strikes his partner… need I say more? You can’t call your movie an “anti rom-com” when it just dives head first into the standard tropes and goes about them in the most shallow way imaginable. For some inexplicable reason she is smitten, perhaps because he is honest in his repulsiveness. He is abrasive, misogynistic and a pretty terrible human being. And through it all, Piper expects you to think that Mandy — who you really don’t get to know much outside of being a stressed out, independent single mom — ends up with this fucking asshole or puts up with his shit for far too long. For those who didn’t already know, this year’s SXSW was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. Raising a son in the midst of a female revolution, mining the pain of her parents' separation and professionally writing about a love that no longer exists, she falls upon a troubled man, Pete, who’s searching for a sense of worth, belonging, and ‘restored’ Male identity.From a filmmaking standpoint, Billie Piper displays a distinguished expressive vision. So why she settles on her vile co-worker Pete, it isn’t clear. He’s not hiding on Reddit behind a username, he hides his rudeness behind honesty and religiousness. It straddles the line between mocking the fake wokeness of many, without insulting those who are actually fighting for a worthwhile cause.
There is a wonderfully awful first dance between the “post-post-post feminist” and her equally irritating groom. For an actress best known as a character named Rose, her directorial debut is riddled with thorns. I cringed when he returned and the romantic music swelled, indicating that she was attracted to him after the strong cold open of her leaving a date with him because of the misogynistic piece of shit that he is. MOVIES: Rare Beasts (LFF 2019) - Review. Just look at I love Billie Piper.