‘The Basics Of Philosophy’ Review: Jack Huston Is Tormented By His Past In Paul Schrader’s Introspective Character Study – Venice Film Festival

In an endlessly impressive filmography either as a screenwriter for Martin Scorsese-directed classics like Taxi Driver, The Last Temptation of Christ and Raging Bull, to his own prodigious output as a director-writer of about 30 movies including Hardcore, American Gigolo, Affliction, Mishima: A Life In Four Chapters and all the way up to more recent entries in his canon including First Reformed (his first Oscar nomination believe it or not), and, in quick succession The Card Counter, Master Gardener and Oh, Canada, Paul Schrader has often dug deep into his Calvinist religious background to present tormented, guilt-ridden, morally challenged protagonists.

His latest film, The Basics of Philosophy, which premiered out of competition Friday at the Venice Film Festival, falls right in line with ideas brought forth in many of his previous works; the newest edition is part of what he admits are “man in a room” stories going all the way back to Taxi Driver in the ’70s and still renting space in the filmmaker’s head. But in addition to the religious aspects (Calvinism among other things preaches total depravity, no salvation and other bright aspects of life), the film is what the rather dry textbook title of the film suggests: a deep dive into the philosophy of life and the key question we can ask of many Schrader characters, “Can we change?”

In fact, in this film it is blatantly laid on with a scene featuring an “encounter” between our angst-ridden lead, a professor of an introductory philosophy course at a Midwestern U.S. college named Dr. John Jorrison (Jack Huston) and the famous 17th century Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza (Karl Glusman), who answers that question in a firm, rather depressing manner. Schrader, as he proved in First Reformed, is not afraid to take his characters into sometimes otherworldly states.

Okay, so if all of this sounds a bit too intellectual for a night out at the movies, think again. Schrader remains a master storyteller and here has one of his edgier outings. Jorrison has a past, and he has kept it hidden in his current life at the college, and with his fiancée Rebecca (Sofia Boutella) among others, but most unfortunately, himself. However in more melodramatic fashion than the film’s title suggests, that past comes back to haunt him in the form of a young man named Miguel Vasque, son of Jorrison’s father’s gardener Carlos (Santiago Cabrera).

In flashbacks we see Jorrison giving piano tips to the 14-year-old Miguel (Trevor Dolden), and a dance lesson that turns sexual. No matter how much he is in denial, a pedophile past comes to the surface all these years later when the older Miguel (an excellent Daniel Zovalto) comes back into his life. This new encounter sends Jorrison, and his world, into a tailspin as what Miguel wants is closure on what had happened back then. But this leads to secrets revealed, lies told and tortured confrontations, not just with others but most intensely with himself. Did he change? Can he change?

Huston, whose famous acting family from John to Danny to Anjelica gives him a tall task to live up to, is an interesting choice for this character, one you can see a bigger star name might run from. Although he has been in high-profile TV and film projects — notably the lead in the failed 2016 remake of Ben-Hur — the opportunity of a role like this is on another level, and it is a courageous choice to take on this kind of challenging opportunity and make it his own. Boutella smartly underplays Rebecca but delivers in her own key moment of truth with the man she plans to marry and who will become a stepfather to her own son, exactly the age Miguel was. Also among the supporting cast, all too briefly are familiar faces like Dana Delaney, Bill Pullman (as John’s father, who tries to pay off his gardener to make this all go away for his son) and even Schrader regular Richard Gere in a blink-and-you-miss-it role at the college.

Schrader is still making the kind of grownup films we rarely get to see anymore, outside of Europe at least, and he never presents easy answers in his movies. The Basics of Philosophy doesn’t alter that even when it goes places we don’t quite expect. It is admirable, though, that this veteran filmmaker, now 80, is still out there asking the questions. We can be grateful that some things never change.

Producers are Braxton Pope and David Wulf. Martin Scorsese, as he did with Card Counter, signed on as one of the executive producers to add weight in getting this out into the world.

Title: The Basics of Philosophy
Festival: Venice (Out of Competition)
Director-screenwriter: Paul Schrader
Cast: Jack Huston, Sofia Boutella, Daniel Zovalto, Bill Pullman, Dana Delaney, Shiloh Fernandez, Karl Glusman, Elizabeth Petruso, Santiago Cabrera, Trevor Dolden, Richard Gere
Sales agents: CAA Media Finance (U.S.); Noora Films (International)
Running time: 1 hr 34 mins