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Rating:
Are you familiar with the theory of six degrees of separation? The one that hypothesizes that every individual is connected to another through six other people. In simple words, to meet Robert De Niro, unless it happens miraculously by chance, I would need to rely on the knowledge of six intermediaries, namely the right people who can allow me to become acquainted with the immense Italian-American actor. A rather bizarre yet fascinating theory, hypothesized by the Hungarian writer Frigyes Kharinty in one of his stories, brought to theater in a play by John Guare, and popularized by director Fred Schepisi in this film.
I'll start by saying that this film did not receive the attention it deserved: unfortunately, it is part of that ever-growing planet of excellent cinematography that passed unnoticed in the normal and usual distribution and ended up in oblivion. The reason appears entirely inexplicable and mysterious to me because this film is truly a small gem that deserves justice, and I am happy that someone has already done it online. Here, I personally take the responsibility, with intellectual honesty, of course.
The story revolves around the Kittredges, a middle-aged New York couple, as bourgeois as can be, who accidentally encounter a young black man who introduces himself as the son of actor Sidney Poitier. The young man is invited to stay in their home, telling them he is a former schoolmate of their children. He fascinates them, seducing them with clever rhetoric, discussing many topics with them, preparing them a fancy dinner, but the next day Flan and Ouisa Kittredge soon face an unpleasant surprise... and I will stop here because this film is to be fully enjoyed in its captivating progression of events that leads the couple to reassess their beliefs, the reference points of their existence in a limited microcosm influenced by the usual banalities made of appearances and little substance.
The screenplay and dialogues are smooth and full of brilliant liveliness akin to any New York film by the best Woody Allen; the cast is decidedly up to the task, with standout performances by Donald Sutherland, a then-unknown Will Smith, Ian McKellen, and the immense Stockard Channing (from Betty Rizzo in "Grease" she has come a long way!) who plays Ouisa Kittredge, which, in my opinion, is the key character of the film, the most intense one.
Fred Schepisi, through the highs and lows of his career, with "Six Degrees of Separation," demonstrates he is a skilled artistic director, in control of the situation, capable of choosing the right actors and putting them at ease to bring out the best in them.
A bitter and amusing comedy that makes one reflect on the circumstances of life that can be opportunities for growth.
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