Biopic The Apprentice is distributed in UK cinemas by StudioCanal, following its premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. In 1973, ambitious real estate developer Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) meets crooked lawyer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), who takes him under his wing. Cohn gives Trump his three rules to become a success – always attack, never admit wrongdoing and always claim victory (even if defeated). Over the course of the next 12 years, under Cohn’s tutelage and with his friendship, Trump becomes a high-flying and charismatic real estate magnate, but also becomes increasingly narcissistic and cruel, in so doing making Cohn gradually become more saddened and appalled.
PROS
- Director Ali Abbasi and screenwriter Gabriel Sherman craft a well-paced and intensely character-driven narrative, drawing upon documented facts to craft a powerful exploration of how money and the pursuit of power can corrupt and make somebody almost unrecognisable to loved ones, and also making an interesting and at times moving exploration of the 12-year-long dynamic between Donald Trump and Roy Cohn.
- Outstanding performances from Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong who really disappear into their roles, portraying Trump and Cohn with intensity and capturing magnificently their mannerisms and nuances, and realising very well the two men’s dynamic. Of the supporting cast, the standouts are Maria Bakalova and Martin Donovan as Trump’s first wife Ivana and father Fred respectively.
- The production and costume design departments do an excellent job of recreating the 1973-1985 period setting, giving a lovely sense of period authenticity with the detailed mise-en-scene, for which they draw upon archive news footage that they also incorporate to elevate the sense of authenticity.
- Cinematographer Kasper Tuxan’s decision to shoot on film and in a more traditional aspect-ratio (not quite the truly classic 4:3) was ingenious, as it results in The Apprentice really looking like a film that was made during the era of its period setting.
CONS
- Gabriel Sherman makes a lot of on-the-nose references to Trump’s attitude, behaviour and rhetoric in the world of politics post-2014, in so doing going for low-hanging fruit as a basis for cheap gags and failing to appreciate that the Trump-Cohn story is fascinating enough by itself.
- Trump’s increasing cruelty towards his family is given surface-level treatment, whilst his rape of Ivana is used solely for fleeting shock value. Regardless of your views on the real-life Ivana’s historic allegations, it is impossible to deny that something so serious should have been treated with sensitivity and gravitas.
- A number of forgettable supporting cast members due to their characters being ill-defined and little more than extras (including some of the most important people in Trump’s life), whilst Catherine McNally does a poor Scottish accent for the role of Trump’s mother, Mary Anne.
VERDICT: 7/10
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