The Apprentice – A Cautionary Tale Biopic

What more can be said about Donald Trump? Like him or not, he and his influence are everywhere for better or worse. A New York City real estate mogul turned one-time President of the United States, the impact of the polarizing figure will undoubtedly be felt for generations to come. Running once again for President of the United States, the timing of The Apprentice, a biopic about Trump, raised some eyebrows. Premiering at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the international production features Sebastian Stan as a younger version of Trump, Jeremy Strong as the ruthless Roy Cohn, and Maria Bakalova as his first wife Ivana. As the three have earned plenty of hype surrounding their performances, the film’s journey to find distribution has been a perilous one as the fear of the ire of Trump posed a serious threat. Not knowing what the film is about amidst that controversy will inevitably have audiences curious but ultimately, not as much of a hit piece, the film is an underdog story as audiences experience the rise of Trump as he becomes the larger-than-life presence he is today. Not putting him on a pedestal, he has flaws as the film is more so of a commentary on the conditions that led to that rise in the first place.

As mentioned, The Apprentice takes place in the 1970s and 1980s and follows a young Donald Trump (Stan) as he emerges from the shadow of his successful father Fred (Martin Donovan) to build a successful business empire, or at least that’s what it looked like from the outside. It’s all about the show and keeping up the appearance of a rich and successful businessman but before getting there, he was an ambitious yet unassertive underling whose ideas to move the Trump organization forward kept getting shot down by his father. Donald just needed a push in the right direction and which he got when meeting Roy Cohn (Strong), an utterly merciless and morally-flexible lawyer whose winning exploits representing mobsters and as a lap dog for Senator Joseph McCarthy played a prominent role in the public eye. A stark contrast in personalities, Cohn saw something in Donald and his ambition, a hunger for success, and a willingness to do whatever it takes. As a result, he was more than willing to hitch himself to Trump for the ride he thought would make them millions. Using his reputation and intimidating presence to steer Donald’s vision, he provided guidance and was unafraid to get down and dirty to get the job done.

Seeking the approval of his father, after making deal after deal, Fred Trump had no choice but to take his son and his ideas seriously. As his name and profile was on the rise, so did his greed and general thirst for power. Spending so much time with Cohn, he and his transactional view of the world started to rub off on Donald but Cohn wasn’t the only one. Taking from the many men he perceived to be the picture of power and success, he made them into a major part of his personality, becoming a character moulded in their image used to perpetuate an aura of power and success. Making bigger and more high-profile deals, that success only further fueled Donald’s ego to the point that he outgrew Cohn’s guidance and essentially kicked him to the curb when he was no longer of use. In his endless pursuit of money and power, his little regard for anyone or anything in his way made him a controversial figure among the people of New York City, slighting his employees, investors, creditors, family members, Cohn, and most importantly, his first wife Ivana (Bakalova) for whom their relationship here is where the film is likely to get the most ire. Ultimately, in the face of self-inflicted adversity, Donald’s move is to double down and never accept defeat. In the end, it was all about maintaining the facade and that perhaps misguided belief in himself.

Meanwhile, the film has an edginess to it that fits the story so well. Like them or not, Donald Trump and Roy Cohn were disruptors and their arc over the course of the film was as compelling as it was chaotic to watch. As much as it was a biopic of Donald Trump, it was a film about a friendship gone awry. A great 1970s/1980s time capsule, its look captures that period nicely, from the way it is shot, going from a grainy look to an analog one according to the decade, to the setting, using Toronto and the surrounding area to bring a different era of New York City to life and its grandeur, and the soundtrack. Running at around the 2-hour mark, the film runs at a decent enough pace, not a moment is wasted. Taking away the baggage that comes with unlikeable characters like Trump and Cohn, it is an entertaining watch thanks to the powerhouse performances from Stan and Strong, and their great chemistry. What easily could have been a caricature in the wrong hands, Stan doesn’t overdo it, instead playing him as an impressionable young man who comes into his own while developing all the familiar mannerisms along the way. Strong, on the other hand, delivers a scene-stealing performance, bringing humanity to such an unsavory character that did plenty of unsavory things.

At the end of the day, The Apprentice is an entertaining biopic with a bit of edge and a cautionary tale that works in spite of its central character. Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong produce one of the more memorable pairings of the year so far.

 still courtesy of Mongrel Media

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.