Shot in a mocumentary style reminiscent of THIS IS SPINAL TAP, director Michael Dowse's IT'S ALL GONE PETE TONG is a funny, touching tale of a DJ who loses his hearing. The title refers to a hugely popular DJ from the UK, who briefly features in the film, and also fulfills the role of executive... [More]

Shot in a mocumentary style reminiscent of THIS IS SPINAL TAP, director Michael Dowse's IT'S ALL GONE PETE TONG is a funny, touching tale of a DJ who loses his hearing. The title refers to a hugely popular DJ from the UK, who briefly features in the film, and also fulfills the role of executive producer. "It's all gone Pete Tong" derives from Cockney rhyming slang--a popular UK method for inventing phrases by finding unusual words that rhyme--and when used, means that "it's all gone wrong." Frankie Wilde (Paul Kaye) is the hearing-impaired DJ who delights the clubbers on the island of Ibiza by coupling his larger-than-life drug and alcohol-fueled persona with undeniable skills behind the turntables. But as Frankie's hearing rapidly disintegrates, and his former manager, wife, friends, and record label slowly fade away, the distraught DJ plunges into the depths of despair. After Frankie hits rock bottom, Dowse steers his film into calmer waters, with the fallen star kicking the drugs, and concentrating on rehabilitation. While the events unfold around the fictional character of Frankie, many real-life DJ's appear in the film, giving it a comedic edge as luminaries such as Carl Cox, Tiesto, Paul Van Dyke, Lol Hammond, and others muse on Frankie's rise and fall in the cutthroat world of dance music. But it's Paul Kaye's performance that really gives the film its heart and soul. Infusing his character with a passionate likeability that shines through even when Frankie's behavior plummets to new lows, Kaye conjures up just the right amount of pathos to stop the film from teetering over into corny sentimentalism, making his portrayal a supremely convincing depiction of a star caught in the terrifying throes of a career-ending condition. [Less]