- THE APPRENTICE
- Starring: Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong and Maria Bakalova
- Directed by: Ali Abbasi
- Rated: R
- Running time: 2 hrs 2 mins
- Golden Media
Fifty years ago, Richard Nixon address the citizens of the United States, trying to assure them that “their president is not a crook. To drive home the message, Nixon added “Everything I’ve got, I’ve earned.” He then tried to sell people oceanfront property in Arizona (thank you, George Strait).
The mid-1970s were a tough time for many cities in the USA, most notably New York City. In 1975 the city literally ran out of money. The city could not pay its bills nor could it borrow money. President Ford – it turns out Nixon WAS a crook and had to resign -famously told Mayor Abe Beame to “drop dead.” New Yorkers were furious. Except for one wide-eyed man with a dream.
Released just in time for this years Presidential Election, “The Apprentice” delves into the rise of real estate magnate Trump (Stan) and his friendship with ruthless attorney Roy Cohn (Strong, in an amazingly uncanny performance). If you’re a student of history, as I am, you may know Cohn as one of the Justice Department prosecutors who successfully lobbied for the Death Penalty in the espionage trial of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg in 1953, as well as Senator Joseph McCarthy’s chief counsel during the Army-McCarthy Hearings investigation suspected communists in 1954.
Our story begins with Trump, whose father, Fred, is currently being sued by the Justice Department for discrimination, meets Cohn in a restaurant and explains his situation. Taking a liking to Trump, Cohn offers his assistance, and mentorship. Not the most ethical person in the room, Cohn gets the case dropped and soon finds himself assisting Trump as he begins building his real estate empire. Trump does his best to follow Cohn’s 3 Rules of Success, most notably to never admit defeat.
As the film progresses we get a journey through Trump’s achievements, both positive and negative. Building Trump Tower, revitalizing, if only temporarily, Atlantic City, meeting his future wife Ivana (Bakalova). We also get a glimpse at his family. His doting mother, Mary Anne (Catherine McNally), his disapproving father, Fred (Martin Donovan) and his brother Freddy (Charlie Carrick) an airline pilot with his own demons. Along the way Trump also crosses paths with everyone from Andy Warhol (Bruce Beaton) to Rona Barrett (Valerie O’Connor). Each actor brings their characters to life, doing more then just impersonations. They all give fine performances but I would be remiss if I didn’t (as I did above) give high praise to Mr. Strong. I’ve seen enough archival footage to be able to say that Strong nails everything about Cohn, from his tone to his body language. A performance that I hope is remembered during awards season. As Trump, Mr. Stan gives an admirable performance, which couldn’t have been easy knowing that the character you are playing did not approve of this film being made.
Let me say right here, in conclusion – I am not a political person. Yes, I vote and yes, I’m passionate about the certain issues, but I never have, and never will, let my leanings effect how I review a film. Like him or not, Donald Trump is a force to be reckoned with, though I think I can say with a great deal of certainty that he will not be a fan of “The Apprentice.”
On a scale of zero to five, I give “The Apprentice” ★★★1/2