view all comments (2) - add your comments

It's All Gone Pete Tong Movie Review

It's All Gone Pete Tong Review

A scene from 'It's All Gone Pete Tong'

"It's All Gone Pete Tong" Overview

*** stars

Rating: R
2004

Cast and Crew

Director : Michael Dowse
Producer : Allan Niblo,James Richardson
Screenwiter : Michael Dowse
Starring : Paul Kaye,Mike Wilmot,Beatriz Batarda,Kate Magowan,Pete Tong

Whatever you think about It's All Gone Pete Tong the movie, it is unquestionably one of the worst titles for a film I've ever heard.

At first I thought I was reading it wrong: The title was just It's All Gone and "Pete Tong" was a wayward producer credit or something.

Nope, that's the real title, and Pete Tong is both a real person and a minor actor in the film (playing himself), in this bizarre and allegedly true* story of one Frankie Wilde, who gained notoriety as "The Deaf DJ" -- on account of he was deaf and a DJ. Lovable freak Paul Kaye plays Wilde, charting his rise to fame (as famous as a DJ can get, anyway) and his wild drug abuse and developing deafness as a result. After beating up the six-foot-tall drug badger that chases him around, Wilde cleans up, learns to read lips, and figures out how to feel the beat by hooking up speakers to special crates that he rested his feet on. This way, Wilde could know when to slip the little slider control from right to left -- which is pretty much all that a DJ has to do, if you believe what you see in this film. Finally, following a triumphant return to a packed house in Ibiza, Wilde promptly vanished from the public eye.

I may be oblivious about DJ's, but I do know that Tong is far from a great film. Its attempt to combine mockumentary and narrative styles is a full-out mess, with talking heads interrupting the action at regular intervals. Kaye is energetic, to say the least, but he's never been an endearing actor and it's hard to feel for his struggle here. Dowse ably portrays Wilde's junkie lifestyle here, with a handful of memorable supporting characters and a few funny lines here and there. Whether you really dig this film will depend entirely on your affection for the club scene and you opinion of its heroes.

As for Pete Tong, he's another famous DJ with almost nothing to do with Wilde's story. The title is meant as a rhyming joke of some sort ("It's gone all wrong") with a little Bend It Like Beckham kick. Watch for it on DVD with an entirely different title, I'm guessing.

* Not really. Frankie Wilde is an elaborate hoax that, we have to imagine, no one is really going to care about.

Pete Tong's hooked on phonics.


Reviewer: Christopher Null


click here - Write for us - get your reviews published on Contactmusic

Comments

screen name:

David Cameron Click for more info ( 1)

posted on 30/12/2005 00:28


comments:

The review given on "It's all gone Pete Tong" is quite exhausting, the film isnt some pathetic attempt to recreate a "true" story, even if the film isn't based on a true story at all. It may have its frequent cheesy lines an ridiculous scenes but there story is quite inspirational. Put yourself in Frankie Wildes shoes, if you can find them, either that or just imagines yourself in his shoes, its up to you. Frankies story isn't pleasant whatsoever, and we all know that the loss of such an important sence, leading to disability, can lead to people taking desperate measures, in this case drug abuse and addiction. Going from such an influential and individual character to a disabled, broke widdower can be the downfall of any man. Frankie's recover is one of the best parts of the film, because its different, and it deals with his struggle to come to terms with his addiction and his not being able to hear, which is probably the most important thing in his life. Becoming once again the top Dj in Ibiza is Frankie's realisation that his disability means nothing, he proves to the world his ability to create music is far supperior than any other Dj out there, as it is purely from his mind and body. I think the main reason for this film being given bad reviews is the fact that there aren't alot of trance fans out there, yet trance fans who watch the film will fully understand the message it gives. If you look at Dj Tiësto and compare it to what Frankie was likes before his downfall (drugged up maniac), you can prove trance isn't for people coke'd up to their eyeballs, as Dj Tiësto is straight edge and his ability to create music is unexplainable. He can live without drugs, alcohol and ciggaretes because his music and the reaction it bring from his fans is enough for him to be fully satisfied. "It's all gone Pete Tong" may be quite tongue-in-cheek sometimes and a bit unrealistic, yet it deals with some of the most important issues people procrastinate about dealing with. Overall i felt it was an excellent film which im sure is the reason for its awards also. By David Cameron




screen name:

butterflyspirit77 Click for more info ( 1)

posted on 15/04/2007 00:03


comments:

This movie is an amazing tale about the obstacles one faces and overcomes.Anyone who has a passion for music should definetly watch this and praise this for he truely is a star!!!!!!!!!!





view all comments (2) - add your comments




©2008 Contactmusic.com Ltd, all rights reserved