It's All Gone Pete Tong

I was fortunate enough to score a ticket to the 9:45 AM screening of this film at the Toronto Film Festival. It's not usual that I'll be anywhere at eight AM, let alone standing in line, but as a fan of FUBAR, I simply had to see this movie. I'm not going to give anything away, nor will I waste space with a synopsis, but I will tell you that this is one of the best films I have ever seen. Paul Kaye does a remarkable job capturing both the humorous and painful essence of Frankie Wilde, a God-like worshiped DJ hammered with immense fame, beautiful girls, endless drugs and the physical toll of his role in the music scene. I'd never seen Paul in a film before, but after this I'm sure he'll be everywhere and I think that's awesome because his performance was Oscar worthy. Alongside Paul, is Mike Wilmot playing the part of Max Hagard and after his hilarious performance I cannot imagine anyone else in the part. Wilmot nailed it with grace, for he would spit out his lines with such conviction and meticulous comic-timing that he often caused gut-wrenching laughs and applause from the theater crowd.

Actors aside, it's the brain of Michael Dowse that we have to thank for such a film. Shot on a Sony 300 (I think) it has a crisp vivid look that sucks you in from the first frame. For the record, I hate house music, but I found myself so engrossed in the film that my head was bobbing to the beat. I didn't know what to expect after FUBAR, well okay "funny" was what I prepared myself for and it came in waves of hilarity. But it was the charming story, stellar performances and clever dialogue that make this picture stand way above the crowd. Seeing "It's All Gone Pete Tong" was a total cinematic sensory overload. At times I felt like someone was main-lining cocaine and scotch into my forearm while at others it was as if I was getting a warm hug from a loved one. FUBAR rocked and put Micheal Dowse on the map but "It's All Gone Pete Tong" that can, should and will, take over the world. Without blinking I give this 10/10 and encourage you to check it out and see what the hell I'm raving about.

This movie has been entirely under my radar until Sound Of Metal came out and made waves last year. A few different people brought this movie up and called it "the original Sound Of Metal". While the primary plot point is generally the same (professional musician goes deaf and tries to deal with it in the best way they can figure out how), the movies couldn't be more different tonally - and guess what, they are both completely worth watching. While Sound Of Metal is a hyper-realistic, bleak, tasteful film - It's All Gone Pete Tong is almost the polar opposite. It's fully over-the-top, comical, loud, in your face, lightning paced, and hilarious.

I was entirely unfamiliar with lead actor Paul Kaye but his performance as cocky Ibiza resident DJ Frankie Wilde floored me. He perfectly captures the highest level of comic character acting while simultaneously capturing a very real, very depressing element of a man completely lost in the sauce (his head all the way up his own ass, you could say). The film uses a mish-mash of filmmaking styles to conjure a very unique vibe when viewed as a whole - when I first turned it on I thought that maybe I was about to watch an actual documentary, but that very quickly transformed into something else, but even then, I still found myself wondering if this was in fact based on a true story or not. It felt like it had to be! (It's not).

The first half of the film is such a riot that it demands a score as high as I've given it. However, I did find the second half to be less fulfilling as it very much turns into a sappy sort of happy ending that honestly feels a bit too far of a stretch from reality to be effective, and also a bit too far from the masterful hilarity of the first half of the film - like, why ditch it? If it would have kept the same tone all the way through it could have been a complete masterpiece.

Now, I've gotta ask... why the hell is this movie called It's All Gone Pete Tong??? Pete Tong is an actual DJ and film producer in real life, and only appears once at the beginning of the film, interviewing Frankie Wilde - and then we only see his name once more, as the support act on a show flyer. That movie has almost nothing to do with him - why is his name in the title?! Second, I feel the need to add that this film was the follow-up to FUBAR - the second film from that director. I had no idea until doing research, but, it makes sense tonally & stylistically - it seems that this is his most acclaimed film, and I can see why. It stands out big time. The Fubar guys have small roles as absurd Austrian musicians too! I recommend this to those who are into absurd, over-the-top comedy.

This amazing movie just won the grand prize at this weekend's US Comedy Arts Festival and it totally deserved it! I normally would have written this movie off without ever seeing it because I figured I'd hate it since I'm not into the DJ thing, but the audience in attendance, myself included, at the two screenings were floored! I even went back the second night to see it again and Ben Stiller had volunteered to introduce because he loved it so much and wanted to give it some extra attention. I think they said it's coming to theaters around April but I'm not sure. Anyway, you MUST go see it. Paul Kaye (he won best actor for the film, too) was supposed to be there but I never did see him. Too bad... This film wouldn't have been the same without his spot-on portrayal of DJ Frankie Wilde and I'd like to have seen his acceptance speech.

This film screened at the Cleveland Film Festival on Friday, March 18. It was paired up with a very funny short called "Winner Takes All". Everyone busted a serious gut about this short. I can't say anything about it else it'll spoil it for you, but look it up.

It's All Gone Pete Tong is a story about Frankie Wilde, a DJ who hit the decks of Ibiza. For anyone who's a club/trance fan, you'll recognize a lot of familiar faces in the film: Pete Tong (of course), Carl Cox (one of my favorites), Sarah Main, Paul Van Dyk (my #1), Tiesto (he looks a lot different on screen) talking about the life of Frankie Wilde.

One of the people next to me commented that this started out like Requiem for a Dream. While its not that severe, this does have heavy drug and alcohol use. This was too much for some people in the audience and they left.

But the storyline is amazing. Give this film the time and you'll see how the director and the actors create a very simple but uplifting story about redemption and change and romance.

The soundtrack, covering everything from dance to the Beach Boys (with an appropriate track at the end) is simply to die for. The film rep said this may not have a soundtrack in the US. I hope not.

If drugs and alcohol use are not for you, I'd skip this film. But if your looking for dry British humor with a ready heartily story along with terrific music, see this film and enjoy, just have some patience, its worth it.

It's all gone Pete Tong is the story about an Ibizian DJ, Frankie Wild (who is a loud mouthed, cocaine addicted party animal). The mockumentary tells us quickly about his rise to fame in Ibiza and how he loses it, literally. Years of doing sets in the loud drug scened clubs are starting to set their toll on Frankie who is losing his hearing much to the annoyance of his agent, who cant seem to get a word of him. Suddenly Frankie loses the 20% of the hearing he has left so he barricades himself away from mankind in his Ibizian villa. It's all gone Pete Tong is hilarious when it's funny and if anyone was going to play Frankie Wild it had to be Paul Kaye. The film slightly slows down in the 70 minute mark, but still i'd recommend it to anyone even if they are not into the clubbing scene. The film capitulates the true meaning of a feel good summer film. 7/10

P.S It's all gone Pete Tong means (forthose of you who don't know) "It's all gone wrong".