PLOT: Based on a true story set in 2003, two aspiring hip-hop artists from Scotland fake their accents in order to gain fame in this rise-and-fall tale.
REVIEW: Keep in mind, I went into this movie blind, not knowing the actual history of Silibil N’ Brains, nor had I watched the documentary The Great Hip-Hop Hoax. That being said, this movie was intriguing from start to finish.
When the movie started, my first thought was, “Oh, here we go, another generic musician story where the artist gets their shot and makes history.” Nope. The movie starts out with our two leads, Séamus McLean Ross and Samuel Bottomley (who play Gavin, aka “Silibil,” and Billy, aka “Brains,” respectively), traveling from Scotland to London, hoping to get their shot at a record deal by auditioning in front of record executives, only to get laughed at to their faces due to their thick Scottish accents. And yes, as anyone who listens to traditional American hip-hop knows, hearing those accents can be a little off-putting for that genre.
Then the movie is off to the races as our two leads “fake it till you make it” in a very compelling story. They lie, sneak backstage at clubs to get gigs, and do almost anything to get recognized. Eventually, they get discovered by a record executive named Tessa (played by Rebekah Murrell), who introduces them to her boss, Anthony (played by James McAvoy), a top executive at Sony Music UK who reluctantly signs them to a deal.
So, we have to talk about McAvoy. Clearly, he relishes playing the asshole music boss and does a damn good job at it, but as a director, he really shines. What he does best in this movie is capture the youthful energy of the two leads, Ross and Bottomley. More importantly, you really feel the chemistry between the two, and McAvoy does a great job highlighting that.
As a director, he doesn’t really do anything too fancy as far as camerawork goes, but another thing to appreciate about McAvoy’s directing style is how he switches from traditional film photography to handheld camera shots, even taking advantage of MTV broadcast footage. I also must mention the performance of Lucy Halliday, who plays Mary. She does an amazing job portraying a woman struggling with her relationship with Billy due to his newfound fame.
What made me enjoy this movie the most was seeing Gavin and Billy deal with their inner conflicts surrounding fame. They FINALLY got what they dreamed of by faking who they really are, but at the same time, they want to come clean to the public about their Scottish origins. However, they struggle to tell the truth because they don’t want to give up what they worked so hard to achieve. And that is what gets you hooked when you watch this film.
Is this movie a contender for movie of the year? No. Will it win any awards? No. Did I enjoy this film? Absolutely.
Not every actor can make that transition from being in front of the camera to working their magic behind the camera, and I think James McAvoy has a bright future in directing if he chooses to continue down this route. He mentioned to me in my interview with him how stressful directing was, but he did an admirable job.
California Schemin’ is a SOLID directorial debut from McAvoy, with a very likable cast and a fun story that has plenty of heart throughout its ups and downs.
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