This is a damn fine documentary. Jeanie Finlay has done a great job not only with the interviews but also the music, the archive footage and, most importantly, the plot and pacing.
This is a really compelling and suspenseful story, which isn't something you can say for many documentaries. Two young rappers go from Scotland to London to break into the music industry -- and when they fail, they go back again pretending to be American. And they make it. Almost.
The personalities are fascinating, especially seeing the switch from interviews with Billy and Gavin to footage of Silibil & Brains on the rampage. The breathtaking, barefaced cheek of them, and the insane intensity of living in character, makes for irresistibly absorbing viewing.
I'm also blown away at the central idea of their hoax: pretending to be foreign through national pride. Think about it. Yes, it's completely crackers. Barking bloody mad, in fact. But it's also absolute genius in my eyes.
For me, the worst aspect of this film is the animation. It looks like an online ad, more or less, with just a little extra movement -- ugly designs, no flow, looks like it was coloured on MS Paint, etc -- but it's a fairly minor distraction.
The only other negative is... well, the music industry. Because it's depressing as hell. But we knew that anyway, right? I look forward to catching Sound It Out from the same director, also musically themed, although I might skip Goth Cruise, since I'm still in denial over my own teenage goth phase.
This is a really compelling and suspenseful story, which isn't something you can say for many documentaries. Two young rappers go from Scotland to London to break into the music industry -- and when they fail, they go back again pretending to be American. And they make it. Almost.
The personalities are fascinating, especially seeing the switch from interviews with Billy and Gavin to footage of Silibil & Brains on the rampage. The breathtaking, barefaced cheek of them, and the insane intensity of living in character, makes for irresistibly absorbing viewing.
I'm also blown away at the central idea of their hoax: pretending to be foreign through national pride. Think about it. Yes, it's completely crackers. Barking bloody mad, in fact. But it's also absolute genius in my eyes.
For me, the worst aspect of this film is the animation. It looks like an online ad, more or less, with just a little extra movement -- ugly designs, no flow, looks like it was coloured on MS Paint, etc -- but it's a fairly minor distraction.
The only other negative is... well, the music industry. Because it's depressing as hell. But we knew that anyway, right? I look forward to catching Sound It Out from the same director, also musically themed, although I might skip Goth Cruise, since I'm still in denial over my own teenage goth phase.