‘California Schemin’’ Review: James McAvoy’s Canny Directorial Debut Carves a Crowdpleaser Out of a Real-Life Hip-Hop Scam
Key Takeaways
- James McAvoy makes his directorial debut with "California Schemin'," based on Gavin Bain's book "Straight Outta Scotland."
- The film follows two Dundee friends who fake American accents to achieve success in the UK hip-hop scene as the duo Silibil N’ Brains.
- Critics suggest the film is a competent but somewhat bland underdog story, lacking the visual excitement of seminal adaptations like "Trainspotting."
- The plot thickens when the duo, enjoying fame, reneges on their plan to expose the industry's superficiality, leading to personal conflict.
- The story's context involves the changing landscape of British media regarding regional accents versus Received Pronunciation (RP).
James McAvoy's directorial debut, "California Schemin'," adapts Gavin Bain's book "Straight Outta Scotland," which chronicles the true story of a Scottish rap duo, Silibil N’ Brains, who pretended to be American to fool the UK hip-hop establishment. Although praised by Irvine Welsh, McAvoy's film domesticates the tale into an underdog narrative, which critics find less visually dynamic than other genre classics, citing bland cinematography and uncertain staging. The story centers on Gavin and Billy, who, after facing rejection in London, adopt fake American personas to gain traction in the music industry, successfully duping managers like Anthony Reid (played by McAvoy). Their initial success is viewed as a prank by Billy's girlfriend, Mary, who anticipates their eventual unmasking, but Gavin succumbs to the allure of fame and cocaine, backing out of the reveal. This decision propels the second half of the film into a narrative about the corrosive nature of deceit in the pursuit of stardom, highlighting the irony of their accent-based scam in a period when regional UK accents were gaining acceptance in media.
