Do you remember the last time you saw something truly magical? I certainly don’t. And I’ve never seen a digitized magic show that effectively convinced me of real magic taking place. Until earlier this week, when I saw Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself, a new documentary film of a magic show now streaming on Crave.
The film is a mix between a filmed stage performance of a show that ran for three years in New York with overlaid clips and animation of personal stories from the performer, Derek DelGaudio. Some scenes even show short segments of the same trick being performed with a montage of audience volunteers.
It’s actually, however, about DelGaudio sharing personal stories of his life that compares his career in magic to a bigger question: how do we define the identity of a person?
What follows is a one-man masterpiece that starts with his nickname of “La Rouletista” and evolves on stage with a mix of humour, storytelling and magic tricks big and small varying on DelGaudio’s big idea. And his biggest success is calmly and coolly making a virtual audience (including us) believe the seamlessness of it all is perfectly natural.
Live magic shows and even movies about magic (like the Now You See Me series) rarely get the convincing magic element right. When an audience is physically there, it’s easier for them to believe what they literally see. But on film, camera trickery makes it even harder to fool viewers.
In & Of Itself solves this by having regular close-ups of the action so it looks like we see DelGaudio from what looks like a distance of only four to six feet away. We can see the literal tricks happening with the assurance there’s no gimmicks…it’s the real deal.
Reality is the theme second only to identity in DelGaudio’s think piece - the reality of who someone is and how a person can be defined is central to his poetic narrative and personal stories that stitch the show together.
One of the most courageous parts of his show is that, in the 85 minute act, he really only performs six magic tricks. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but the magnitude of what he pulls off in each of them gets better and better with each one.
When it comes time for the secret final trick, DelGaudio redefines courage yet again. The final scene is “the scale” (seen in the bottom right of his set) and it’s amazing how he managed to pull this off every night for more than 500 performances.
Some good news: In & Of Itself is among the easiest titles to stream. Yes, here in Canada it’s exclusively on Crave, but you don’t need any of their upgrades or services to access it. Good old basic Crave will let you watch it right now, and if you’re a Bell customer, you might have Crave access for free. (The film is on Hulu in the US, a service that doesn’t exist in Canada.)
A short note on age: while magic shows are often great family entertainment, there’s a few profanities in the script and one story that might be too intense for kids. Those age 12 and up should take it stride.
When the show had its live run, it attracted great creative talent. Hollywood legend Frank Oz directed both the stage show and the film, with Stephen Colbert and actor/musician/magician Neil Patrick Harris producing the project.
You see pretty fast why other entertainers are so easily won over by DelGaudio’s project. Several other famous faces appear in short, unnamed cameos as audience members too: blink and you’ll miss Bill Gates or David Blaine among the crowd.
Now it’s your turn to be the audience. It’s true that this isn’t the highest profile release across streaming this week, though as an arts reporter my job is more fulfilling when I give you analysis and recommendations of good ways to spend your precious leisure time than how not to spend it.
Trust me. This is very much a good way to spend your time. It’s a brilliant film of a brilliant show that will leave you feeling hopeful, valued and bewildered all at once. That’s the beauty of allowing a look at your identity to be in and of itself.
Derek DelGaudio's In & Of Itself
9 out of 10
14A, 1hr 30mins. Documentary Drama.
Directed by Frank Oz.
Starring Derek DelGaudio and dozens of cameos and volunteers.
Now streaming on Crave for subscribers.
