User reviews

First of all the cover image of the video is of my wife and me when we saw this in NYC. We loved the show live and think the movie has found a way to capture the essence of the live performance. My wife had said it best this is her review:

It really is a raw and powerful show. I don't think anyone can watch this show and not be affected by it. So many of the people in the audience were deeply moved, and some were brought to tears. Derek is deliberate in his presentation, he is piercing in his gaze, he uses silence as well as words, and when he does speak, you are hanging on every word. Oh, and he's incredibly talented too. I chose I AM a dreamer. Edmund chose I AM a trickster, but seeing what some people chose for themselves was at times beautiful, funny, and incredibly sad. Fantastic show. 522 shows.

As many have said, go in knowing as little as you possibly can. All I can think of put down here is this brilliantly written and designed theater-magic-show-cinema-confessional hybrid is about how labels create us (or may try) and how we either stick to them or transcend them. Are you the dog, the wolf, or in that space in between? You're still somebody's son, or mother, non? What Id also add is Delgaudio is a master showman, but his greatest skill as an artist is empathy and connectivity. I can't explain what he does (the letters most of all), and I don't want to. It is perceptive on a level that I can't put into words, except to add that in the 21st century, when everyone in life (or especially online) gets pigeonholed, it is.... necessary.

I haven't been at all religious in my life, but.... Is this what it's like to believe in the unbelievable? Oh, and a late-era masterpiece from Oz, who I wasn't sure would return to filmmaking but, my god, the editing and mix of animation really does a trick here as well.

Please go in without reading up on what you are about to see. Turn off your devices, make sure you won't be interrupted, and just experience it. If your partner/housemate/friend is a chatty show watcher, watch it alone.

It's hard to write a review that doesn't tell you anything, but I think it's quite important not to know what to expect. It can be a deeply moving experience.

I learned something tonight. Not about myself, but about others.

Thank you Derek.

Yours,

A Fraud

Just watch it. There are people who dislike it, and there are people who loved it. No person is going to be able to decide whether you like this or not except you.

We saw this show in NYC and we're absolutely stunned. I couldn't turn away from Derek for a minute. I went to this show not knowing much about it, but whatever preconceived notions I had about it were gone in the first fifteen minutes. I felt a heaviness during the show, but I left with a feeling of calm wonderment. To the person who panned this performance, I'm sorry you felt the need to write such a terrible review while at the same time giving props to a different "illusionist". Different strokes for different folks. We also went to see Darren Brown's show in NYC, and while I'm not into mentalism, I would never dream of panning the performance. It was great for what it was; it just wasn't my thing and was night and day different from this. I will watch this several more times on Hulu. It's THAT good.

Watch this documentary. It is phenomenal. There is so much happening in this that you are left filling both fulfilled and utterly empty at the same time. Incredible.

"...and knowing you won't believe me, that's the only reason I'm going to tell you the truth"

Derek DelGaudio has created something truly in & of itself...

It's conceptual, it's emotional, and it's wonderful.

Turn off the phone, turn off the lights, experience it and then tell me...

"What have you become?"

You are best off simply watching this recorded performance whilst knowing as little about it in advance as possible.

It really is an astonishing piece of work that shows levels of skill in various departments that are nothing short of genius. That it also packs an immense and genuine emotional punch results in an experience you won't forget in a hurry. Remarkable.

This was one of the most interesting and fascinating things I've seen. I've never heard of Derek, I find it extremely difficult to even explain to people what this actually is. All I can say is watch it and experience it for yourself. We should be applauding such originality and thought provoking content.

You'll find yourself crying and eventually realize that empathy is amazing.

One of the most profound film experiences I've ever had. Derel DelGaudio's In & of Itself is a illusionary thought space that causes the viewer to literally question their own identity.

The show unfolds through a series of stories, card tricks, and audience interactions and truly break the 4th wall to yield a stunningly emotional experience.

Much of the film is impossible to express in words, its something you simply have to experience for yourself.

Wow. Simply wow. Indescribable. Must see and be experienced.

Wow. A unique & wonderful show. Much, much more than magic or illusion.

It has taken me a little bit after the movie ended to gather my thoughts and feelings to best describe what I have just watched. It is nothing short of amazing, visually and emotionally.

You might find it boring or you might find it haunting. I found it inwardly revealing. I also found it quite entertaining.

Here is the deal. The description says "Storyteller and Conceptual magician ... attempts to understand the illusory nature of identity and answer the deceptively simple question "Who Am I?" I think it does more than that. It begs YOU to ask the question of yourself. "Who am I?"

Do not watch it with someone. Watch it by yourself. No distractions. Turn your phone on silent. Sit for 90 minutes and immerse yourself. Allow yourself to laugh, allow yourself to cry, allow yourself to be amazed. It moves slow, it moves cautiously, it also forces you to think, to turn inward and ask yourself "Who am I?"

It was an emotional roller coaster ride for me, I am not sure what it will do for you and to be honest I don't want to know. This was a personal journey for me and I think this should be a personal journey for you and you alone. I wish I could have seen this live but that will never happen. I was blessed to have someone share it with and so I am sharing it with you.

Here is to the journey ahead.

This performance challenges us to change the way we see and treat those around us.

The overarching message here is that what we think we know about someone is often an ill informed and clouded interpretation far from who they really are. This message was one I never expected to get from a film on Hulu, but is one I hope will stick with me going forward with whoever I interact with.

As the film talks about, whether we like it or not, we are all the unreliable narrators of each others stories. What we say to each other matters, what we say about each other matters, and what we think about ourselves has a tremendous impact on our daily lives.

How it it possible for 1.5 hours of film to spark this much thought? Watch this movie and find out.

I know that heading will be confusing... I personally found this show inspiring, entertaining, and thought-provoking. But I'm in my 50's.

I love to share performances like this, so I did...I've shown this to 8 other people so far... Their responses (surprisingly, to me) fell HARD along age boundaries:

• Those under 25 didn't have the patience or emotional maturity to sit through it or understand it... they thought it was "blah" & boring
• Those aged 25-40 thought is was "cool" and "entertaining"... but took no message from it
• Those over 40 loved it, and were inspired by it.

Draw your own conclusions about the results of that extremely small sample size... and if you're over 40, go watch it! But if you're under 25, you may want to skip it for now!

Wow what a heartfelt message Derek gives you in an amazingly talented performance! Loved and was intrigued every moment. I hope everyone can see this again a lifted spirit from it! I won't spoil it by saying more exactly thank you Derek!

This movie/documentary is amazing! It's something I've never seen before. I don't want to spoil it but if you aren't moved by this movie, you must be the tin man!

This is a captivating work of cinematic theatre. DelGaudio combines magic, solo theatre, performance art, and part audience interaction theater experienc into a potent, exhilarating, emotional, and intellectually engaging blend. The premise of the show, officially, "tells the story of a man fighting to see through the illusion of his own identity, only to discover that identity itself is an illusion. N the film's press notes, DelGaudio details that in the creation of In & Of Itself he, "wanted to explore the illusory nature of identity; how we rely on labels and definitions to identify one another; and how, paradoxically and inevitably, those labels obscure who we really are. It was a theme that had emerged in various ways throughout my life.".

The things you're seeing aren't literally what they seem, in the same way a body is not literally being sawed in half in another show, or a rabbit isn't really spontaneously appearing in a hat. But the feeling was entirely genuine, in that it activated a part of me that craved that moment of being seen and identified and recognized as myself, and that's what you see in the often emotional reactions of DelGaudio's audience in the film. DelGaudio uses magic as a metaphor for life - the way what we perceive is based on belief, the ability to change and create our reality.

What we perceive is just a fraction of what we know. The names we assign to each other are just the surface. How based on context. What we perceive can change. The brick becomes part of the story and then he makes it disappear. The transformation from the name the audience chose transforms when the audience watches them read the story.

The "tricks" don't matter. The way DelGaudio reveals the names, he does so in a way where the members reveal something profound about themselves. Yes, it's a feat of memory on DelGaudio's part, but the real magic is the meaning the members themselves make.

Often, film can't capture live theatre. This does, which just enough movie tricks to make up for the lack of visceral experience.

Like others here, I'd tell you to stop right now, and read no more. I knew nothing about it before I watched, and believe it's best to go in cold. If you're still reading, well you listen as well as my kid...

Yes, it's slow, and yes, there's a fair amount of social commentary. There are dragging moments in the first 45 minutes, but the last 45 are infinitely worth it. His last two "illusions" (if we're to call them that) were breathtaking, stunning, and mind-blowing. One of the most emotional 90 minute stretches you'll ever have in front of a television. I'll stop here because you don't want me to say more. Just watch it.

The fact In and Of Itself is classified as a documentary just goes to show it is beyond classification.

After watching it for five times, I still get moved and surprised by the magic in it, the magic of touching humanity's emotions, the carving to connect, the need to be seen and defined.

And the fact this magic is achieved by magic, only enhances the experience.

So yes, see it with as little knowledge/ expectations as possible, but don't worry if you don't.

A few words about it, anyway: it is a one-man-show, on the reliable shoulders of Derek DelGaudio, a magician who uses his skills as a form of vulnerable poetry. You know the "how does he do that?" question you ask when seeing a magician? In this case I was asking myself the same question, but about the human magic.

• You know what - Just see it, OK?

Review_Derek_DelGaudio´s_ In_And_Of_Itself

This is the filmic record of the Stage Show by Derek DelGaudio, directed by Frank Oz.

Production Design by A. Bandit, Director of Photography Cezary Zacharewicz, Original Music by Mark Mothersbaugh; to name just the few Department-Heads whose work stood out most prominently, not disregarding the many others who have participated in making this Movie-version, and who all deserve to be appreciated by reading their names in the credits.

The original show was performed 552 times in front of a live audience at Daryl Roth Theater in New York City USA , the Movie produced in 2020 ( according to the opening- and end-credits.) none of which I have seen, sadly. Recently I have written quite a lot of reviews, mostly negative, on occasion very negative. All of them deservedly so in my opinion; because even though I do tend to see the flaws of everything very easily, quicker, with little ability to forgive them or whatever one might call it, I do not necessarily look for them. They mostly find me all by themselves.

So I sit in front of screens, in cinemas or theaters and think more often than not: Was this really a good idea? By which I mean everything. From having the original idea to producing and distributing a production to me watching it. And ever so often I think: No !

May have been okay to do the thing in question, but I could or should have spared myself the disappointment, boredom or anger . To counteract that I had resolved to write some Reviews for things that I had liked in the past and had not come to yet. Then this was recommended to me by a dear friend whom I now value even more than before. There is little to be said about it really. It is in essence a one-man-show, not unlike many others including story-telling, card-magic, sleight-of-hand, practical magic tricks, audience participation and mentalism. Adding to this, a glimpse into the life of Derek DelGaudio via home-videos. The music and good camera work and editing making this a rather immersive experience. And at the same time it is nothing like many or any other shows. Because of the intimate nature and incredibly moving way in which Derek Delgaudio combines all of these elements into a stage show that leaves no-one unmoved, as we can clearly see. Me included, and I had the benefit of a home-video viewing on my own experience where I was able to pause, rewind and anticipate- even magnify parts of the show. And still it did not lose it´s appeal, because that is not the way such a performance should normally be watched, but it was too tempting at times to just read some of the things that were presented and well worth it.

This is also the reason that I for the first time ever stuck to the more traditional way in which to review, and give praise to this. Like many others I wonder about the often absurdly high ratings reached by media-products that I found lacking, annoying or worse yet superfluous. To not be able to give zero stars to any such product... silly maybe, but still - some actually do not deserve even one. In my opinion, okay and every-one has theirs, okay again. This to clarify that if possible I would gladly give twenty to fifty stars out of ten to this here gem, having saved enough by my constant one-star down-puts that I got fed up with myself. So now in keeping with the show´s theme, I will try to be more than a wise-ass, and start by saying that I have hardly ever seen a man look that good in a suit. These are the things that very often I notice and mark as the few or even only redeeming qualities in movies or shows. Here it is just another of many well done parts in creating not just an illusion, but an experience. That left me deeply moved and thoughtful, asking myself how any-one could have done this 552 times. .And giving ten stars from the bottom of my heart for it.

If you don't see this, you are truly missing out. If you read even the synopsis or an overview, you're taking away from it. If you fully read what it's about, you're ruining it before you can experience it.

As I read the recent reviews I ask myself, how can I make a review helpful while not telling you what it's about? That's a tough one. You have to be aware of what kind of film you're getting into, and what kind of mood you'd like it to create for yourself. If you've thought of that and chosen this, you will not be disappointed. I'm partly a skeptic, and found myself saying aloud, what the f*^k? His card skills are amazing, and he has a view of the world that is like, he knows something we all don't know, but in the back of our minds we do.