It`s all gone Pete Tong - DVD

Content: Frankie Wilde (Paul Kaye) has it made: as the most successful DJ on the party island of Ibiza, he has fame, money, a sexy model wife (Kate Magwan) and a gorgeous villa. And Frankie knows how to enjoy such success: Parties, sex, drugs - he takes everything he can get. But of course this doesn't last forever without consequences. Because the loud music, the constant stress and the many drugs put such a strain on his hearing that he threatens to lose it completely. And since Frankie ignores all warning signals, it is eventually too late to stop this development. It's bad enough that the DJ can no longer do his job and falls into a deep hole psychologically. Now, of all times, he is also left by his wife and fired by his record company. As Frankie hits rock bottom, he finds the strength to kick the drugs for good. Trying to get his life back on track by learning to read lips, he meets Penelope (Beatriz Batarda), also deaf, with whom he quickly falls in love. By her side, he not only finds renewed courage and happiness in life, but also his love for pounding beats. But can he continue his old successes as a deaf DJ?

It`s all gone Pete Tong is a successful mixture of drama and comedy, which gets a slight mockumentary touch through interspersed interviews with real DJ celebrities like Paul van Dyk or Tiësto. These documentary-like interpolations give the film, which is said to have been inspired by true events, a certain realism that provides a good counterbalance to Frankie's completely bizarre drug trips. For when the DJ here is completely drugged up and repeatedly haunted by an oversized skunk or indulges in his motto Fuck & party in shrill tracking shots, it does seem very artificial in a very weird way. But when the viewer is brought back down to earth after such rather muddled moments, it works really well as an overall picture.

Paul Kaye (Game of Thrones, Match Point) is at his best in the scenes where Frankie has to learn to cope with his sudden deafness. Although he also delivers a convincing performance as the cocky party boy, it is only in the second half of the film that Kaye's performance gives the character a certain depth that makes him a real sympathetic figure for the audience. This impression is further enhanced by the good interplay with the charming Beatriz Batarda.

Because the film was shot in some of Ibiza`s well-known locations and also uses a lot of the music from the party temples located there, It`s all gone Pete Tong quickly became a real cult film, especially among the Ibiza generation. Ten years after its premiere, the film is finally being released on DVD in Germany. Admittedly, viewers who insist on dubbing have to bite the bullet, as only the original English version with German subtitles is released here. But in the end nothing better could have happened to the film, because a dubbing - no matter how successful it would have turned out - would have destroyed much of the flair and also a lot of humor.

It`s all gone Pete Tong is certainly not a film for the masses. For that, the whole thing is simply too special and too weirdly implemented. But if you love music films of a different kind, appreciate whimsical humor and want to experience a rousing story accompanied by lush beats, you should definitely get this DVD. Worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: The DVD's picture is clean, but has minor weaknesses here and there in terms of image sharpness. The colouring, on the other hand, is powerful and works really well, especially in the party scenes. The sound is only available in the original English (with German subtitles), although here the more powerful Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is clearly preferable to the stereo track, which is also present, especially in the scenes where the music sets the tone. Good!

Extras: As a bonus, the DVD has interesting interviews with lead actor Paul Kaye (approx. 4:28 min.), director Mike Dowse (approx. 7:17 min.), as well as the two producers Allan Niblo and James Richardson (approx. 9:32 min.) to offer. There are also brief glimpses at the shooting of the pool cover scene (approx. 2:19 min.) and the work with the club statists (approx. 2:18 min.).

Conclusion: It`s all gone Pete Tong is a successful mixture of drama, comedy and mockumentary, which tells of the deep fall and radiant comeback of the fictional DJ legend Frankie Wilde, accompanied by interview contributions of real DJ greats. Colourful, shrill, cynical, bizarre and very original, the story of the deaf DJ is told. The film, which now has cult status, is released for the 10th anniversary for the first time in Germany on DVD, in the original English version with German subtitles. The technical realization is good, the bonus material scarce, but worth seeing. Overall, there is a clear: Recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp