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, who briefly features in the film, and also fulfils the role of executive producer. 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-fuelled 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 DJs 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 cut throat 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 behaviour 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.
