SCHEMERS
Directed by: Dave Mclean
Starring: Connor Berry, Sean Connor, Grant Robert Keelan, Tara Lee, Kit Clark, Blair Robertson, Mingus Johnston
Dundee, 1979. A young Dave Mclean sees his dreams of a career in football dashed following a broken leg and, thanks to an attempt at impressing a young nurse, embarks on a career as a concert promoter. However, the more successful he and his two friends become, the more problems they have to face. Dave's ambition culminates with an Iron Maiden concert at Cairg Hall, but does he have the ability to pull it off?
On paper, Schemers seems a bit of a vanity project: Dave Mclean, directing a film about his own life, based on his own script (albeit co-written by Kyle Titterton and Khaled Spiewak). However the actual experience of watching this is like if Bill Forsyth had directed Trainspotting.
After getting his leg broken by an irate boyfriend of a girl he'd slept with, Davie's career as a promising footballer was over in a dash. He's realistic to realize that, even if his mother isn't. However a future as a factory worker doesn't appeal to him either and his dreams stretch further than Dundee.
When he tries to come on to Shona, the beautiful nurse who attended him in hospital, he finds she's heard just about every pick-up line (including his, in the hospital) there is, so has to quickly change tack and blurts out he's organizing a disco. However Shona calls his bluff so he's forced into a corner and actually has to organize one.
Shambolic as it is, the disco proves to be a success and Davie and his two friends, John and Scott, move on to arranging gigs for up and coming bands such as Simple Minds, Ultravox and Madness. Amusingly, as this is 1980, Davie has to conduct all of his business out of the local phone box.
Things start to get a bit murky when the lads become victims of their own success. As their gigs are attracting bigger crowds they need bigger venues, which means dealing with the local gangsters who run them. This brings a serious element of danger to the proceedings as these people are very impatient for their cut of the profits.
When Davie jumps in with both feet and arranges for Iron Maiden to play in Dundee, it might prove to be the straw that broke the camel's back. Not only does it put the gang in serious debt with the wrong kind of people but dealing with the band's manager, Rod Smallwood, might see the gig pulled at the very last minute. To put things into context, Iron Maiden were already a bit of a Big Deal, even in 1979, having two chart-topping albums and a world tour under their belt. They had even played live on Top of the Pops. This was no longer deals done in the local telephone box, this was making sure the band’s rider was taken care of.
Luckily Davie, as played by Connor Berry, is a likeable rogue. He can be a complete idiot at times but eventually will see sense. He gets by on a certain amount of wit and charm and even at his worst he's a likeable character. The same can be said for John and Scott, who stand by him through thick and thin despite certain misgivings. Connor also provides a running narration, letting us into Davie's head at times and filling in odd bits of exposition. Tara Lee, who plays Shona, is also very good, providing a playful, witty foil to Davie's ego.
This is a very funny film, and the script has some great lines of dialogue. It shies away from the meaner and nastier aspects of being in debt to loan-sharks, without diluting the actual threat they represent. There are some nice visual flourishes throughout the film, such as freezeframes and split screens, and a drinking session which looks like a homage to the editing style of Edgar Wright.
THE VERDICT
Schemers is a very funny, breezy film. Dave Mclean's script paints his younger self as a loveable rogue, whose flaws are outmatched by his charm and ambition. Meanwhile in his role as director, Mclean has delivered a light comedy full of charm and wit. This is a trio of guys you want to go down the pub with. The fact that the film is packed full of songs from the period helps a lot. Hearing Saxon and early Simple Minds blasting out at the clubs and discos doesn't hurt at all.