THE APPRENTICE
THREE AND A HALF STARS Who made Donald Trump the man he is today is only half the story.
DRAMA US English #THEAPPRENTICE
Starring Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong
Ali Abbasi's THE APPRENTICE is a provocative exploration of Donald Trump's early years, brilliantly capturing the evolution of an ambitious young man who becomes defined by power and controversy. Small wonder that he, nor his team nor the MAGA faithful were exactly enthusiastic about the film.
Sebastian Stan takes on the complex, titular role delivering a nuanced performance that sidesteps caricature while pointing at the traits now associated with the convicted felon / TV host / President. Stan’s portrayal is at once restrained and captivating as he reveals his character’s ambition and the moral compromises made along the way.
Yet while the story focuses on Trump, it is Jeremy Strong who shines as the lascivious Roy Cohn, Trump’s mentor and morally ambiguous patron. Strong’s layered performance leaps off the screen to illuminate Cohn’s intelligence, manipulation, and personal struggles with remarkable depth. Another notable is Maria Bakalova who simmers as Ivana Trump, highlighting the complexities of their relationship from one of mutual ambition and respect (maybe) to eventual and inevitable discord.
THE APPRENTICE is a skilful character study that avoids overt politicisation, instead focusing on the personal dynamics and historical context that shaped Trump’s rise. The screenplay by Gabriel Sherman is sharp, blending historical accuracy with dramatic flair and well as a liberal seasoning of poetic licence. It’s more fun for it.
Pivotal moments such as Trump's mentorship under Cohn, his early ventures in New York real estate, and his tumultuous personal relationships with his father, his alcoholic brother and controversial treatment of Ivana. The ‘rape scene’ is scintillating in a ghastly can’t look but have to kind of way.
Washed with a grimy, 70s realism style, Abbasi captures the grit and glamour of pre-Giulliani New York that neatly underscores the dirty mechanics of Cohn’s project and Trump’s rise whose moral and ethical implications are writ large.
Despite how tempting it must have been, and contrary to the position of many with a megaphone, Abbasi hasn’t done a hatchet job but a crafted film that attempts to portray the complexity of a young Trump without serving up stereotypes. It’s polarising, sure, and if your politics skew right this APPRENTICE may not be for you. But if you’re in, you’re in for a treat, a balls-out, thought-provoking, bullet-train of a narrative powered by terrific performances and storytelling. For better or worse, THE APPRENTICE lingers long after the credits roll.
Commenti