The story of how a young Donald Trump started his real-estate business in 1970s and ’80s New York with the helping hand of infamous lawyer Roy Cohn.
Chuck says:
Donald Trump and his advisors have made it very clear they would sue any film company that would have the temerity to distribute Ali Abbasi’s “The Apprentice.” As such, the major studios have stayed away from the movie, not wishing to be tied up in litigation for years or deal with any negative publicity. Credit Briarcliff Entertainment for taking a flyer on the film, which is taking advantage of some fortuitous timing, releasing it only three weeks before the presidential election.
Having seen the movie, it’s obvious why Trump doesn’t want it put out for public consumption. Based on real events, the script by Gabriel Sherman is a fascinating portrayal of one man’s relentless pursuit of greed, power and, most importantly, recognition. This isn’t an uncommon goal, nor is the willingness to part with your soul as the cost to achieve these aims. According to this film, Trump initially wasn’t any different from any other ruthless businessman, with the exception of the access he was able to afford himself to, which have opened doors to arenas of influence others could only dream about.
It’s 1974 and New York City is in ruins, ravaged by high unemployment. In addition, large portions of the metropolis have fallen into disrepair and crime is running rampant. Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) has grand plans for himself, but at the moment, he’s nothing but an errand boy for his father, Fred (Martin Donovan), sent out to collect the rent from the tenants who live in the rundown tenements they own. What with a discrimination lawsuit filed against them, the elder Trump’s burgeoning empire is in danger of being dissolved.
Enter Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), the highly influential attorney who was influential in convicting Julius and Ethel Rosenberg of espionage, in addition to being Joseph McCarthy’s right-hand man during the infamous communist witch hunt in the 1950’s. Ruthless and without conscience, the lawyer not only helps get the threatening lawsuit dismissed but takes the younger Trump under his wing. Donald takes to his teachings like a duck to water and his fate, and eventually, our nation’s fate is sealed.
Covering a little over a decade, we’re privy to Trump’s first meeting with and ultimate marriage to Czechoslovakian model Ivana Zelnickova (Maria Bakalova) as well as his rise to the top of the New York business world. Every step of the way, we witness his embrace of Cohn’s three rules to success – Attack – Deny everything –Never Admit Defeat – bulldozing his way over people and institutions, any sense of conscience he may have had, just so much collateral damage in his pursuit of the all-mighty dollar.
Many of the incidents portrayed in the movie are well-known to anyone who’s followed Trump’s ascent or taken in the sordid details about him that have emerged. We witness his callous indifference towards his troubled brother Freddy (Charlie Carrick), his failure to pay his contractors, his disregard for those who helped him and an incident of sexual assault that occurred between him and Ivana. Abbasi and Sherman hold nothing back and will likely come under fire for presenting a distinct, one-sided portrait of their subject. Not a legal expert, I’m not sure if slander is being committed here but there’s no question as to the filmmakers’ intentions.
Be that as it may, the portrait of Trump in the early going is not without sympathy. Longing to impress his cruel father, he’s seen as a young man adrift, nurturing grand dreams that, to be fair, did help revitalize the city. His desperation for his father’s approval proves his downfall, as adopts Cohn’s tactics with a zeal that’s frightening, and ultimately, destructive.
Stan is remarkable, slowly morphing before our eyes into the narcissistic monster Trump becomes. Over the course of the film, he gradually introduces the vocal cadence and physical tics that have come to define him and become the subject of parody. It’s a fascinating transformation that’s never less than captivating. Strong is equally arresting, his reptilian appearance and gestures a perfect complement to the character’s cold-blooded approach to others. Bakalova rounds out the trio of principals, bringing a strength and intelligence to Ivana that most representations of her neglect. Par for the course, the actress is underused.
“The Apprentice” will likely not sway anyone’s opinion of Trump. His supporters won’t bother to watch it, his detractors will take it as a validation of their opinion of him. Still, the film has merit as it serves as a cautionary tale not simply for those who willingly compromise their character to get ahead, but to those who stand idly by and allow people of this sort to succeed.
