It's All Gone, Pete Tong (2004)

Reporter: Frankie, can you really DJ as a deaf man...how is that possible?
Frankie: I'm an honest man. And I can tell you that this album was made completely without the aid of my ears. Next week, I'll be DJing as a deaf man. And if you don't believe me, well.....F**k you! Because, I have got nothing, nothing to prove to you sluts. 
Max: Listen....listen to me....Frank loves sluts. I think what he is trying to say is even if he feels he has nothing  to prove to you, he'd be happy to prove anything you want to you. 

When I started watching this supposedly true story about the tragic life of legendary DJ, Frankie Wilde, there were two things that confused me. One, who's Pete Tong if this is about Frankie Wilde? Two, why did this tragedy win some award at the US Comedy Arts Fest (whatever that is)? After the end of an uplifting movie on the rise, fall and redemption of DJ Frankie, I did a quick Google search to learn this is just a mockumentary. Oh, I get it. Probably that's why I had never heard of this guy, even though I initially thought it could be because I was never into this kind of music.

Frankie Wilde (Paul Kaye) is the reigning king at the clubs of Ibiza and he has all a showman could ask for - cash, parties, women, drugs. When the good times roll, his trophy wife, Sonya (Kate Magowan) and his manager, Max (Mike Wilmot), are always there for him. But the occupational hazard of being too close to the noise in the clubs takes its toll on him. Frankie slowly starts to lose his hearing until he is completely deaf. As his wife abandons him and his manager doesn't want a deaf DJ on the label, his life falls apart. He immerses himself in a pile of cocaine and self-pity and regresses into his own world and makes no public appearance for a year. Having turned his world into a prison, he finally gathers himself up to make a fresh start by giving up drugs and appointing a lip-reader to help him "hear". His lip-reader, Penelope (Beatriz Batarda), helps him make a comeback and once again, Frankie sets the stage on fire. As we see different DJs and friends commenting on the turn-around Frankie made, we also learn about his subsequent disappearance after creating gold in his final album, Hear No Evil. The movie ends with different speculations of his possible whereabouts and a suggestion of finding true love in Penelope.

Director Michael Dowse creates a well-knit story in a way that would remind you of Citizen Kane. Paul Kaye easily gets into the character and creates a mystery that makes the whole journey worthwhile. Having said that, there's nothing new about the story, and it's only selling point is "people love a good tragedy". Even though I don't have a taste for house music, the soundtrack kind of helps you to sail through the movie. And you can only watch it for Paul Kaye's brilliant performance.

Rating: 7/10