Six Degrees of Separation, written by John Guare, based on his play

Six Degrees of Separation, written by John Guare, based on his play

There are some interesting, provocative, erudite segments in this like able, very good film.

Donald Sutherland, Will Smith and the rest of the cast are magnificent in their roles.

The former plays Flan Kittredge, married to Ouisa, living in an expensive apartment in New York, overlooking Central Park.

Ian McKellen has the role of rich Geoffrey Miller, a South African who owns a gold mine and other assets and he is supposed to go out with his hosts and discuss business, perhaps a two million dollar investment in a painting by Cezanne.

"Don't think of the elephant" is the saying and Ouisa and Flan cannot ignore the prospect of the paramount investment or lack thereof, through the polite conversation.

Suddenly, an African American is at the door, wounded and robbed as he explains and he is a colleague of their children.

This handsome, well mannered young man tells the story of the robbery and the consequent destitution...as he was looking, he saw the apartment and remembered what his friends told him about their parents, their names, occupation and so much more.

Flan and Ouisa are private dealers, as they explain in one scene, some rich clients prefer to avoid galleries, somethings publicity and the press and would rather use back channels, people with an established reputation like the Kitteredges.

They give the stranger their attention, they get the first aide book and then the treatment, take a pink shirt from their son-who would be so outraged and loud upon hearing about it- and they offer to take the pleasant, entertaining man for dinner, with the prospective investor.

An important element in this special attitude and generosity might be the information that the man is called Paul Poitier and he is the son of the celebrated, popular, famous, valued Sydney Poitier.

Poitier Jr. Has some stories to tell, about visiting Cannes, Moscow with his Deity-father and furthermore, there are some erudite, sophisticated, challenging commentaries that the visitor makes on literature.

He talks about Catcher in the Rye, alienation, the fact that this book has inspired criminals, the killer who murdered John Lennon, the man who tried to assassinate Ronald Reagan.

One of them, in his defense, said that all they need to do is read the book.

Paul Poitier moves on to Samuel Beckett and Waiting for Godot, which ends with...

Let's go

Yes

The author writes that they do not move.

The continuation is more absurd, for the young man claims he would meet with his father, who wants to make a movie based on...Cats.

That sounds preposterous to his audience and it would be proved that their opinion is valid, even if they accept the offer to act...as extras in the film.

However, in the morning, Ouisa hears strange moaning and other sounds, when she is worried and enters the room of the guest, there is the visitor entertaining and having sex with a male friend.