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No matter what your opinion of Donald Trump may be (and most of us have a very strong opinion), it’s impossible to deny that he’s a larger-than-life figure in our culture. And the biopic The Apprentice takes a look at his rise to power—and the man who helped to make him the man he is today.
The Apprentice follows a young Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) as he works to get out from under the shadow of his landlord dad, Fred (Martin Donovan), and make his big dreams come true. When he meets infamous attorney Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong) at an exclusive club, the older man takes him under his wing, helping him navigate the cutthroat politics of New York City and to win at all costs. And as Trump grows from outspoken upstart to a real estate mogul—expanding his empire beyond New York—Cohn continues to provide his advice and support.
Though the timing of this film’s release—just weeks before the Presidential election—may suggest that The Apprentice is a political movie, that’s not really the case. Though there are a few not-so-subtle references to Trump’s political future, the film is set decades before Trump ever threw his red hat in the ring. Instead, it takes a look at the making of the Donald Trump that we know today—the transformation from a straight-laced kid with big plans to one of the biggest names in business under Roy Cohn’s tutelage.
Apart from a few rather graphic scenes, not much here is especially shocking. Trump has been in the public eye since the ‘70s—and so much of his story has been told repeatedly since then. Yet there’s something about this film that connects the dots—offering a surprisingly humanizing look at how and why he became the man he did.
And it all comes together with an almost eerily accurate portrayal by Sebastian Stan. In biopics like this one, it’s easy to turn a role into an over-the-top caricature—but considering that Trump himself is a bit of a caricature, it works. From the voice to the mannerisms to the facial expressions, Stan gives a haunting performance as the ambitious young man who became the President.
If you’re looking for a highly political film about the former President—whether you’re for or against him—this isn’t really it. The Apprentice is simply a look at the early days of Trump’s highly-publicized career—and the man who inspired and influenced the man he became.
You can follow the 45th President’s rise to business power when The Apprentice comes to theaters on October 11, 2024.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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