Either way, what we do know is that Trump and his lawyers went the legal route to try and make sure that this film didn’t see the light of day before the election in America… and it is not surprising because Trump certainly doesn’t come out of this film smelling like roses.
The film begins during the early days of Trump’s career where he dreamed of turning one of New York’s run-down eyesores into a luxurious hotel. The idea was shot down by his property developer father, Fred (Martin Donovan – Tenet), but Trump was determined to make it happen so started to explore other avenues.
It was during that time that he met ruthless and cunning lawyer, Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong – The Trial Of The Chicago 7), who wasn’t afraid to take on anyone in court, even the government. He liked what he saw with Trump and decided to help him out with his career.
The film then chronicles the impact that Cohn had on Trump while Trump begins to build his business empire while pursuing beautiful young model Ivana (Maria Bakalova – Bodies Bodies Bodies) and watching his brother Freddy (Charlie Carrick – Deep Water) self-destruct because of his addictions.
Whether this film is an accurate portrayal of a young Trump or if it is a character assassination is hard to say – technically only one person knows whether what is portrayed here is fact, fiction or half-truths and that is Trump himself.
What I can say about The Apprentice though is that it doesn’t exactly seem to set out to show Trump as an all out one-dimensional villain. Instead the film seems to show different stages of Trump and his personality to get to where he is today.
Early on the screenplay by Gabriel Sherman (Independence Day: Resurgence) depicts Trump as a lost young man with big dreams. He wants to earn his father’s praise but instead seems to be lost when he is placed in a world of greed and sex. In fact to the audience it looks and feels like he only starts to mimic the behaviour of those around him in order to gain their acceptance.
That lack of world knowledge is further emulated when he begins his pursuit of Ivana – which literally screams of a man trying to achieve an unachievable dream.
The film then also depicts Trump as a person capable of some despicable acts – including a vile scene involving what he does to Ivana and of course throughout the plot shows how he turns his back on those that really need him including his brother Freddy.
But even then it feels like Sherman and director, Ali Abbasi (Holy Spider), still want to show Trump as someone who is easily misunderstood. Some may say that his behaviour toward Roy when he is sick with AIDS is despicable but the film clearly shows that most of that behaviour came from the fact that Trump didn’t fully understand the disease and thought you could catch it from simply touching the person. Even the scenes that seem to suggest that Trump might be homophobic trip themselves up because he knew Roy was gay before he was sick so surely he would have turned his back on him then if he were in fact prejudiced.
Of course once again all of what we have discussed here technically becomes a moot point because this whole film really rests on whether or not what Sherman and Abbasi have brought to the screen is true or not.
What can’t be disputed about The Apprentice though is the power of the acting performances. Jeremy Strong puts in one of the strongest performances of his career to make Cohn appear ruthless but also a character you feel sorry for.
He is also well matched by the unrecognisable Sebastian Stan who seems to literally become a young Trump. Not only does he capture the look and the mannerisms sensationally well but he plays the character in such a way that like Strong’s Cohn you feel sorry for him even while his cruel side is on display for all to see.
Perhaps the political side of this film may taint things for them but if you solely judge them on their engaging and powerful performances then both Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong could be looking at award nominations for their roles here.
The Apprentice is a movie that will be widely debated for a long time to come. Is it a good dramatic film that engages its audience? Yes. Is it a film that tells the truth and only the truth without embellishing things for a political agenda? Well, we can’t say because only the screenwriter, director and Donald Trump himself knows that.
The Apprentice will be released in Phuket on Nov 14 and has yet to be rated.
4.5/5 Stars
David Griffiths has been working as a film journalist for over 25 years. That time has seen him work in radio, television and in print. He currently hosts a film podcast called The Popcorn Conspiracy. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes accredited reviewer and is an alternate judge for the Golden Globes Awards. You can follow him at Facebook: SubcultureEntertainmentAus