California Schemin'
Scottish rappers start posing as Californians to get their careers off the ground. James McAvoy's riotous directorial debut is based on a true story.
“Do you want to be the next Eminem?” asks an advert in a music magazine. Scottish friends Gavin and Billy answer yes. They are aspiring rappers unable to launch their careers in an England that looks down on Scots. Back home, their ambitions are met with rolled eyes; at auditions in London, their Scottish accents become the object of the judges’ laughter. What begins as a passing idea soon turns into a plan: they reinvent themselves as American rappers to gain the credibility they believe they deserve. Before long, “Brains” and “Silibili” find themselves under the wing of record producer Anthony (James McAvoy), on the road to money and fame. But deception leaves a long trail, and the burden of living a lie puts their friendship under severe strain.
The buzzword “impostor syndrome” has rarely felt more tangible than in this true story. California Schemin’ is a lively blend of genres: a dark comedy, a full-blooded music film, a deeply human drama, and at times even a thriller. For rap fans, it is pure delight. Uniting its many layers is a profoundly human story about friendship, ambition and the weight of deception.
Above all, the film is debut director James McAvoy’s love letter to Scotland, of which colourful characters, distinctive humour and fearless outlook on life reverberate through infectious rhymes and beats, shaking both the cinema walls and the audience to their core.
Joonas Kallonen (translated by Kati Ilomäki)
Screenings
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Kinopalatsi 1Fri 18.9. at 18.45–20.32107 min, 1/3
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Gilda 1Sat 19.9. at 20.45–22.32107 min, 2/3
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Savoy-teatteriSat 26.9. at 14.15–16.02107 min, 3/3