Dramedy: It's All Gone Pete Tong

It's All Gone Pete Tong (2004)

Set in Ibiza, Europe's "party central" mediterranean paradise, this movie follows the life of Frankie Wilde, a world renowned DJ. He loves his work, and he loves his drugs. The problem is that combined, his work and the drugs are making Frankie deaf, and what good is a deaf DJ?

Unlike most mockumentaries, the cinematography was not like a real documentary, so there are very few shaky camera shots. It was a very intelligent decision, since the Island of Ibiza is beautifully captured as the movie's backdrop. There are many cameos made by Europe's most famous DJs, all sharing their stories about the how the fictional Wilde could turn out a party.

In the first act, Frankie yells at everyone as if he is still in the club, even when they aren't. All the warning signs of hearing loss are there, but Frankie continues on his downward spiral and just ignores them. By the second act, his hearing is almost entirely gone. He has an album to complete, so he continues to expose himself to conditions that will eventually rob him of his livelihood. Frankie completely loses his hearing by act three, even after attempting to live in complete silence for months. The fourth act follows Frankie as he kicks the drugs and learns to communicate with the hearing world, which helps him to meet his soulmate.

Penelope is also deaf, and she teaches Frankie to read lips. Through her lessons, Frankie begins to devise a way to make a comeback. The final act takes you through the impossible: a deaf DJ producing a record single, and what seems to be Frankie's last live performance ever, all with the help of a laptop computer and flip flops made of speakers!

After watching this movie, I now refuse to expose myself to loud music in an attempt to preserve what hearing I have left. I started playing drums when I was 12 years old; took part in a scene where "speaker freaking" was common; and graduated to DJing, which noticeably took it's toll on my auditory capabilities. Also, the movie covers something that a lot of Americans don't realize: DJs are the rockstars of Europe!

you gotta see this shit