The Apprentice - The Trump Story

"The Apprentice" doesn't hold back. It doesn't try to be objective or find nuance where there is none; instead, it dives headfirst into the rise of a young Donald Trump, portraying him as a man shaped by manipulation, lack of scruples, and relentless ambition. This isn't a traditional biopic-it's a reconstruction of how his mindset was forged, leading him to become a figure who would later leave a profound mark on American politics.

Sebastian Stan takes on the challenge of portraying Trump without resorting to caricature or exaggerated imitation. His performance is unsettling because he captures not just the speech patterns and mannerisms, but also the calculated opportunism that defines him. Alongside him, Jeremy Strong plays Roy Cohn, Trump's mentor and a pivotal figure in his development. Strong's presence is magnetic, making it clear that Cohn's influence was instrumental in shaping Trump's worldview.

Ali Abbasi directs with a firm hand, avoiding unnecessary embellishments. The film works as a stark examination of corruption, power, and the dangerous alliances that can transform an individual into a media monster. It's a raw depiction that makes it clear that impunity and cynicism are essential tools in the world it portrays.

If The Apprentice has a flaw, it's that it doesn't always delve deeply into the psychology of its central character. It presents the events but sometimes lacks a more detailed analysis of his inner motivations. However, the emotional impact is undeniable.

In the end, the film accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do: it unsettles. There is no redemption, no unexpected twists-just a stark exposure of a transformation where anything goes in the pursuit of power. If you already despised Trump before watching, by the end, that feeling will have only intensified.

The title "The Apprentice" refers both to Donald Trump's TV show and to Trump's relationship with his mentor, Roy Cohn. The film is neither a takedown piece nor a glowing testimonial. It's much more nuanced and complicated than that.

The first half of the film takes place in 1973. Donald Trump is collecting rent from deadbeat tenants. He and his father are being sued by the Justice Department for housing discrimination. Their lawyers are urging them to settle the suit and move on. But then, a twenty-seven-year-old Trump meets Roy Cohn. A shady character on the fringe of rightwing politics (he made his name as lead counsel for Joseph McCarthy's communist witch hunt), Cohn recommends that the Trumps seize the initiative and countersue the federal government. With Cohn in charge, the case goes away with no admission of wrongdoing. Cohn also guides Trump through the machinations of NYC politics, helping him take over a boarded-up Commodore Hotel, secure tax abatements from city government and ultimately transform the property into the Hyatt Hotel at Grand Central Station. Along the way, Cohn teaches an impressionable Trump his three rules: 1) attack, attack, attack, 2) deny everything, admit nothing, 3) no matter what actually happens, always claim victory.

The last half of the film is set in the early 1980s. Trump opens his namesake Tower. He becomes convinced that Atlantic City's casinos will be his path to untold riches. And he hires a writer to pen "The Art of the Deal." By this point, he has fully mastered the art of self-promotion.

At its core, "The Apprentice" is an origin story. Iranian-Danish Director Ali Abbasi ("Holy Spider," "Border") and "Vanity Fair" writer Gabriel Sherman argue persuasively that Trump was molded, almost created, by Roy Cohn. But Cohn's influence eventually wanes. Even as Trump's star ascends in the 80's, Cohn is disgraced (he's disbarred for stealing from clients) and marginalized. He eventually dies of AIDS (although he claimed to his dying breath that he was suffering from liver cancer). By the time "The Art of the Deal" is published, Trump has decided that Cohn's three rules and his own fame were based on Trump's ideas all along.

Director Abbasi also points out the weird confluence of factors that have helped Trump flourish: a ruthless, winner-take-all version of capitalism that deifies those who succeed; a legal system easily manipulated by the rich to crush opponents or to postpone their own day of reckoning (after screening at Cannes, this film received a "cease and desist" order from Trump's attorneys); a US political system that has no idea how to constrain an individual who operates according to Cohn's three rules.

The acting here is superb. As Roy Cohn, Jeremy Strong (Kendall on TV's "Succession") is simply mesmerizing. He compellingly embodies the internal contradictions of Cohn, a lawyer who shows complete disdain for the legal system, a Jewish man who embraces antisemitism, a closeted gay man who publicly demeans homosexuality at every opportunity. Sebastian Stan (Marvel series) as Trump and Oscar-nominated Maria Bakalova ("Borat" sequel) also are worthy of note.

"The Apprentice" is certain to annoy those who love Trump as well as those who love to hate him. It's an origin story that offers a scathing assessment of American culture and American politics. It demonstrates persuasively that one of America's most unique and distinctive personalities - and the rules that animate him - were actually crafted, molded and created by somebody else.

I saw this at a premiere screening and was blown away. The story is well told and accurate, which was refreshing. It was a reasonable portrayal of a fascinating man. What really got me was the acting. Sebastian Stan was phenomenal. He nailed Trump's mannerisms, and yet never fell into a caricature.

Jeremy Strong did a fantastic job of portraying Roy Cohen. The only thing that didn't quite land for me was that the character of Roy Cohen was presented as somewhat sympathetic and not as sinister and psychopathic as he actually was (not Strong's fault - that was the script). Other than that, an excellent and thought-provoking biopic.

The film's director said in a recent interview that he wasn't sure if this film would enhance or detract from Donald Trump's reputation...

Having watched it, I'm not sure either...

I was initially attracted to this film as an MCU fan. Donald Trump is played by Sebastian Stan who is Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier in Marvel films. He does not disappoint as the US President to be...

The movie certainly starts off by making Trump look more human than perhaps he or some of the media have in the last few years...

How he's changed by the apprenticeship under Roy Cohn & the money & the power is certainly one of the themes...

The shots of him in the 80's that are made to look grainy like 80's TV are a nice touch...

If I have one criticism (which is why I gave it a 7) it is that the screenwriter didn't seem to know how to end it...

But it's worth watching just to see how well Donald Trump, Roy Cohn & Ivana Trump are portrayed... and how they are developed through the film...

The first part of this biopic is excellent. Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump is very good. He accurately portrays Trump's ambitious drive as well as the naivete of a young man not sure how to bring those ambitions to fruition. Then Trump meets Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), the evil legal genius who advises him on how to fight the federal government's charges on racism in Trump's father's real estate empire. Cohn then helps him with other legal matters including getting property tax relief. Those parts of the movie are interesting and compelling with great performances by both Sebastain Stan and Jeremy Strong. In addition, Martin Donovan as Fred Trump and Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump are excellent. But then the movie rushes into the mid-1980's without much exposition or explanation. That is when the movie was a letdown for me - the time period is given short shrift by writer Gabriel Sherman as if he didn't know where to go after the interesting parts of the story with Cohn encouraging Trump's narcissism, angry rhetoric and avarice were over. And by the end of movie, you will almost feel sorry for Cohn when he realizes that he has created an even worse monster than himself. I think the movie could have been better as a mini-series (with some better writing), but I would still recommend it for the standout performances of Sebastain Stan and Jeremy Strong.