California Schemin’ (15)
Directed by James McAvoy 
★★★★☆

THIS wild ride of a film is based on the outrageous true story of two working-class lads from Dundee who conned the music industry by pretending to be an American rap duo to achieve their dream securing of a record deal and sticking it to the man. 

At an audition in London, best friends Gavin Bain (Seamus McLean Ross) and Billy Boyd (Samuel Bottomley) were laughed out of the room for sounding too Scottish and were dismissed as “the rapping Proclaimers” by the music label executives. Undeterred, they decided to reinvent themselves as hip-hop artists from California.

In 2003, they rerecorded all their music with a Californian accent, devised a back story and returned to the same music execs who were suddenly bowled over by their American talent and offered them a record deal. Committing to their roles 24/7, they planned for a major reveal on television to show up the music industry for its hypocrisy and snobbery. 

It is a roller-coaster, and a hugely entertaining ride with a social edge as it examines prejudice and the price of fame. It is also an impressive directorial debut by renowned actor James McAvoy, who also stars in it, and features electrifying performances by Ross and Bottomley. 

The film explores the cost of achieving the dream by losing your culture, identity and integrity (the key stone of hip hop), plus the pressure exerted on their friendship as the boys lies deepen and begin to overwhelm them as their success grows. There are some tense, extremely cringing scenes as Gavin and Billy have to think on their feet to avoid being outed as they take faking it until you make it to a new level.

Their commitment to method acting, living and breathing their characters and talking with an American accent all the time made their personas more believable but caused problems with Billy’s fiancee Mary (a phenomenal Lucy Halliday) who found it difficult to reconcile with his alter ego. She kept him grounded. 

Unlike Milli Vanilli, these guys were talented rappers who could sing as the 2013 documentary The Great Hip Hop Hoax shows. They just weren’t American and had been told they would never make it as a Scottish hip hop duo despite their inordinate talent.

What they proved is that where there is a will there is a way, and inspiring to others.  

This is a must see.

In cinemas April 10