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| Courtesy of Magenta Light Studios |
The true story of Silibil N' Brains, the hip-hop duo who hailed from Scotland but told the world, California, had been presented previously in the 2013 documentary, The Great Hip Hop Hoax. But here in California Schemin’ we are given the glazed over version with some edits to make the story more snappy and easier to swallow for those seeking a ‘based on true story’ vibe. While the documentary goes into detail and offers a more truthful account, the fictional narrative actually makes us believe that fame really can be at one’s fingertips after a few phone calls and a big lie.
Best friends Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd, aka Silibil N' Brains, work dead end jobs in a call centre and dream of being hip-hop stars. While Boyd is content with freestyling lyrics on the way to work and hanging with his very supportive girlfriend Mary, Gavin spends his free time calling all the record companies repeatedly, even rapping on voice messages to get attention. When the guys believe all hope is lost, Gavin has the idea to pretend to be from the USA as no one takes Scottish rappers seriously. This lie gets them in the door, one show, gets the attention of a major label and suddenly they’re recording singles. But all this sudden attention and fame can’t last forever, soon the lies will catch up with them.
As a feature directorial debut from James McAvoy, the film is entertaining, hitting all the emotional and tense moments as a story about lies, deception and music can be. Samuel Bottomley and Séamus McLean Ross turn out genuinely great performances and really do convince us of the talent these two had with a crowd.
It’s an interesting story overall, but at the heart of it, there is a nagging feeling that the boys did lie about their background, but the writing, their performances, these were real. A smart producer could have seen opportunity here and turned the reveal into something more. But instead, the film goes the route of seeking redemption and deciding what is more important in life. Though this is probably what happened to the real Gavin and Billy, for the film, a bit of creative work could have given the film a little push to something more intriguing. California Schemin’ isn’t the most impressive film, but the true story definitely is.
Released in cinemas in the US from 9th October, with expansions 16th & 23rd