FIRST, THE FACTS:
1. This movie is not about Pete Tong.
2. This movie is not a true story. It is a work of fiction.
3. Pete Tong is not deaf.

NOW, ON TO THE REVIEW:
Holy muthafuckin shit. I’ve never seen a movie with audio like this. I’m a big DVD watcher, and usually I only go see movies in theaters that have a lot of spectacle and must be seen on the big screen. But It’s All Gone Pete Tong is a movie that you must see with full surround sound, ideally in a theater with the volume turned up to the metaphorical 11.

The film is a mockumentary about a fictional Ibiza DJ named Frankie Wilde, who goes totally deaf in his late-30s. In the course of a year, he loses his hearing, his record deal, and his wife. The film follows this decline, and then Frankie’s redemption and eventual disappearance.

The movie tries show what it was like for Frankie to go deaf, and the audio editing and engineering is absolutely phenomenal. The audio makes heavy use of right and left channels, changes in volume, etc, to help hearing audiences gain insight into what Frankie goes through. When Frankie mixes records, we hear what he hears through his headphones. When Frankie starts to get tinnitus, you hear the irritating ringing. There are whole stretches of the movie that are silent except for the sound of Frankie’s breathing.

Although a bit campy and amateurish in parts, the flick is a pretty effective emotional roller coaster. There were pounding euphoric club scenes, genuinely fucked up depictions of heavy drug use (watch for the coke badger), and some gentle emotional moments that surprised me in their sincerity. The film’s closing visions are optimistic and sweet.

As someone who’s known deaf members of the rave/club scene, I can say that It’s All Gone Pete Tong is a fair representation of how deaf dancers enjoy pounding dance music. The filmmakers clearly did their research with the deaf community, and the distribution company is making a Closed Captioned version for deaf audiences as well.

The film opens in NY, LA, and SF this weekend, and then in a few more cities in May. Highly recommended, especially for anyone (hearing or deaf) who’s spent time in front of a speaker stack literally feeling the music.

More info:
Official movie website
Steve Gravestock’s review

PS: Although the film claims to be based on a true story, it’s actually fiction being couched as fact, ala Blair Witch. The marketing technique feels a little manipulative, but whatever.