Seeking out the
5000 greatest films
in a century of cinema
Derek DelGaudio's In & Of Itself
In & Of Itself
Directed by
Frank Oz
Produced by Jake Friedman, Glenn Kaino, and Vanessa Lauren
Written by Derek DelGaudio
Produced by Jake Friedman, Glenn Kaino, and Vanessa Lauren
Written by Derek DelGaudio
With:
Derek DelGaudio, David Blaine, Marina Abramovic, Tituss Burgess, Paige Davis, Ronan Farrow, Bill Gates, Gavin Grimm, Tim Gunn, Brian Henson, Will Hochman, Jon Lovett, Kate McKinnon, Adepero Oduye, Mia Sara, Alicia Witt, David Wain, Larry Wilmore, Susan Sarandon, and W. Kamau Bell
Cinematography:
Cezary Zacharewicz
Editing: Michael Robinson Fleming
Music: Mark Mothersbaugh
Editing: Michael Robinson Fleming
Music: Mark Mothersbaugh
Runtime:
90 min
Release Date: 22 January 2021
Aspect Ratio: 1.78 : 1
Color: Color
Release Date: 22 January 2021
Aspect Ratio: 1.78 : 1
Color: Color
Frank Oz crafts an engrossing performance film from Derek DelGaudio’s 2017 one-man show (also directed by Oz). DelGaudio is a stage magician without the bravado or showmanship of Ricky Jay, David Blaine, or Penn & Teller, who uses his earnest, even awkward, stage presence to great effect. His one-man show features some unique illusions but the magic, in this case, is simply the medium in which this performer accesses his audiences. Equal parts personal storytelling, meditation on identity, and a showcase for tricks, In and Of Itself consist of six distinctive segments told slowly and deliberately by DelGaudio in front of a simple set of six windows representing each chapter. His venue is limited to 100 seats so that the level of intimacy is created between the performer and audience is palpable.
Oz doesn't completely transform the live show into a cinematic experience the way John S. Boskovich did when adapting Sandra Bernhard’s Without You I'm Nothing (1990)—for me, still the greatest film of a one-person stage show ever committed to celluloid. While we are left with the feeling that In and Of Itself would have been far more affecting if seen live, Oz intercuts footage from multiple performances for the segments featuring audience interactions, and this technique leaves the viewer with an experience of the event as a whole as well as a sense of what an individual performance must have felt like. The famous folks we glimpse in the audience indicate what a buzz-worthy event this off-Broadway run of 560 performances surely was. The constant cutting to the audience renders this movie more of a filmed document of a live show than a cinematic translation of one, but this limitation is probably unavoidable as magic performed without an audience defeats the point. And, in this case, what truly mesmerizes is DelGaudio’s ability to connect with nearly every member of his audience and use a set of skills originally developed to con suckers to open people's minds.
Twitter Capsule:
Oz doesn't completely transform the live show into a cinematic experience the way John S. Boskovich did when adapting Sandra Bernhard’s Without You I'm Nothing (1990)—for me, still the greatest film of a one-person stage show ever committed to celluloid. While we are left with the feeling that In and Of Itself would have been far more affecting if seen live, Oz intercuts footage from multiple performances for the segments featuring audience interactions, and this technique leaves the viewer with an experience of the event as a whole as well as a sense of what an individual performance must have felt like. The famous folks we glimpse in the audience indicate what a buzz-worthy event this off-Broadway run of 560 performances surely was. The constant cutting to the audience renders this movie more of a filmed document of a live show than a cinematic translation of one, but this limitation is probably unavoidable as magic performed without an audience defeats the point. And, in this case, what truly mesmerizes is DelGaudio’s ability to connect with nearly every member of his audience and use a set of skills originally developed to con suckers to open people's minds.
Twitter Capsule:
Derek DelGaudio’s 2017 one-man show, a meditation on identity disguised as a magic act, is effectively transferred to the screen by the show's director Frank Oz without losing too much of its power or intimacy.