It's All Gone Pete Tong

Okay, a couple of things. First, I'm a big Paul Kaye fan, so I'm biased, and it all started with Dennis Pennis. For those of you who don't know Dennis, he's the original Ali G and IMHO much funnier. Search for "jeff meets dennis pennis" and you'll get a taste of Paul/Dennis and his ambush of Jeff Goldblum, who, I have to admit, rolls with the punches.

As a Paul Kaye fan, I was disappointed with Blackball. This movie (Pete Tong) was the first big Paul Kaye movie I really was looking forward to, until I read that the director was the same person who directed (and wrote) Fubar, which I cringed through and had to leave the room. (I would have turned it off, but the others were having a blast. Why? I don't know).

So, hearing that Paul was paired up with a director whose work I wasn't entirely enthralled with wasn't confidence building. I heard it won a couple of awards (Best Actor! Go Paul!) at the Aspen Film Festival in February and my confidence increased.

A sneak screening changed my initial impressions completely. The first half hour is really tough and I had to fight my urge to give up on the film even though Paul does an amazing job. See, I told you I was biased, but I'm not the only one. Ask those Aspen people. However, the last two thirds of the movie completely changes from a dark comedy into a light-hearted and empowering film. The music and the colors are fabulous and shows Paul's (as deejay frank wild) breadth. The film is really a "simple" redemption film, of a man who finds out what's important in his life and proves it for himself.

There's a love interest as well, and this works as a date movie. All the reviews and descriptions as a "dance" movie (I don't even know what that's supposed to mean) isn't entirely correct. While there is dance and rave in the film, it's really a backdrop for this simple story of a complex man who has to make some tough choices in life (and deal with a disability that is his worst nightmare).

Paul did an extraordinary job and I have to admit that the director really surprised me with this film, as it was nothing like his previous work. It's a difficult ride, but one worth taking. There's no "big surprise" ala 6th Sense nor is the beginning entirely too painful, but it's not all fun and games, either. Watch it and enjoy it and it'll be worth it. All least do it for Paul!

This film played the second night at Gen Art's 10th Annual Film Festival. I was expectedly waiting for the "big name" films Standing Still and Southern Belles but one of the Gen Art staff recommended I watch Pete Tong. Knowing a little bit about dance music (Moby, Paul Oakenfold, Fatboy Slim) and having watched just a couple of flicks (Go, Groove, 24 Hour Party People), my expectations were low. The theater was packed. Within the first 10 minutes, I was hooked. The opening sequence has Paul Kay (Playing the famous DJ Frankie Wilde) descending from the ceiling of a Ibiza club on a guide wire and then falling into a pool! The music THUMPS THUMPS THUMPS and the theater had the volume jacked so that you could feel the bass and vibrations. The plot is fairly predictable but the main actor does an amazing job. The film is well shot with beautiful colors, but lots of close-ups. Don't sit too close to the screen on this one. The furry Coke Badger gives us a humorous glimpse at the personification of addition. All in all, a fun show with a (Happily) cheesy ending. The film ended up winning both the Best Picture and Audience Awards.

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.

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".

Paul Kaye is the perfect type for this DJ-character in the Ibiza music & party scene. I'll keep it briefly. The film got lot's of aspects as my summary explains. A genius in his own right.

We saw the movie at the International Film Festival in Rotterdam (the Netherlands). It was a surprise movie at the last evening of this Festival. It really surprised us. Nighty minutes after the movie ended we were still laughing and talking about this unique movie. Something to remember: the alternative 'scarface' scene. It's the brain of Michael Dowse that we have to thank for such a film

Go see the movie and have fun! Even if you don't like house music.