“The Apprentice”: A young Trump in search of money, power and respect

Hate him or adore him, Donald Trump is an inescapable figure in pop culture. He is frequently parodied and imitated, both by comedians and on social media in general. His distinctive speech patterns and grandiose, often nonsensical statements make him easy to imitate and recognize, creating a cartoonish personality that can sometimes seem cartoonish. This reality makes a drama film about Trump a challenging prospect. What could a more serious film actually have to say because it’s so straightforward to recreate on screen?

THE APPRENTICE ★★1/2 (2.5/4 stars) Led by: Ali Abbasi Written by: Gabriel Sherman With: Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, Martin Donovan, Maria Bakalova Duration: 123 mins

As it turns out, the answer lies somewhere between “a lot” and “nothing new.” The apprenticewritten by Gabriel Sherman and directed by Ali Abbasi, reflects on the past to understand the current Republican presidential candidate. Sebastian Stan, sporting a believable wig and prosthetics, plays Trump in the late 1970s and is ready to make a name for himself in the New York real estate scene. When he meets powerful lawyer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong does his best, Jeremy Strong), Trump evolves into the man we now see babbling about Hannibal Lector at rallies.

The apprentice is a biography, so to speak, that attempts to give the young Donald a more complex character as he travels around town doing business. He meets, seduces and marries blonde model Ivana (Maria Bakalova), but their relationship takes a backseat to his obsession with Cohn. He is also obsessed with his father Fred Trump (Martin Donovan) and earning his approval, although in the film it’s not always clear who Donald is actually trying to impress on his way to the top. In the film, Cohn is responsible for Trump’s unusual speech and the way he presents himself like a modern monarch. We see Cohn acting as a mentor to Trump, which is based on truth, and then we see Trump rejecting Cohn when he becomes ill with AIDS.

Not surprisingly, the real Trump objects to this The apprenticeespecially since his portrayal is not always very flattering. Stan, an impressive actor, never makes Donald unlikable, but the film shows the character undergoing liposuction and plastic surgery, taking drugs, and raping Ivana – something she has publicly stated never happened. It’s well known that Trump is often consumed by his looks and reputation, and the film brings this literally with these scenes, particularly with the visceral depiction of liposuction. Of course, this all makes for an interesting narrative, but occasionally the drama overshadows the core.

Although the film centers on Trump, a divisive man and a real threat to American democracy, Sherman and Abbasi leave room for that The apprentice to address larger issues. It’s about the possibility of corruption and how easily money and power can seduce us. We will do anything – literally – to become rich and untouchable, as Trump appears to have done. The film is generally an indictment of this sensibility, even if Stan’s interpretation of Donald doesn’t make him a villain. This is a credit to the actor, who wants to question the man rather than the person. This is perhaps why his appearance is not a parody and the character sometimes does not resemble the recognizable character that is often repeated Saturday Night Live. Here, Trump is a toxic, clichéd example of American masculinity, fueled by the promise of status and wealth. He continues to pursue this today, albeit on a larger scale, and Abbasi points out that the fascist threat posed by today’s Trump has its origins in that chance meeting between him and Cohn decades ago. It’s a compelling idea. If only the film itself could stand up to it.