Review of Six Degrees of Separation (1993) by Nick S — 26 Feb 2010

This is one of my all-time favourite movies and, like most of my all-time favourites, it wasn't until a second viewing that it truly began to resonate me. It's so easy to watch a film and become caught up in the plot and not fully realise the underlying message of the film.

On a first viewing, the ending does not seem to resolve the situation with Paul, but watching again you realise that the film is not about Paul. It's about families, their relationships, friendships both close and distanced and the stories that evolve from experience.

I have also seen Six Degrees on stage, and was still blown away by the power of the message. I'm lucky to say that there is only one degree of separation between me and this film. After I'd fallen in love with it many years ago, I emailed Ian McKellen (found his address via an old website of his) before his career really took off with the Lord of the Rings trilogy and X-Men.

I had a website at the time with the stories of my life. He took the time to have a look and wrote the kindest email in return. I watched the film again this morning and I'm still finding things I'd not discovered.

It's also great to see an Australian at the helm of a film that seems so very New York.