The Apprentice Review

 I saw The Apprentice, here are my thoughts…

The film tells the story of Donald Trump’s relationship with his mentor Roy Cohen and his rise in business…

Now, biopics are tricky subjects. You’re trying to tell a real-life story while also being an entertaining movie. I’ve seen plenty of films trip over themselves trying to ride that line… but I’m happy to say this one can balance that line of historical events and character arcs cohesively, and it’s mostly accomplished by two things…

First, the filmmaking: It starts off with a very 70s document “Scorsese” feel (which the movie makes direct reference to by having montages of news footage from the time). It’s high energy, kind of wild, and gives you this whirlwind party feel that draws you in, the same way Trump is being drawn into the world of high business…

Then we get to the 80s, and everything has a gaudy high society neon mixed with a static monochrome look to everything (some points feel exactly like you’re watching somebody’s home movies they filmed on their digital camcorder)…

This leads us to the second thing… the performances: Sebastian Stan gives an Oscar-caliber performance as Donald Trump. He did a great job showing Trump's mannerisms and looks without it coming off like an impression. He brings a sort of innocence and underdog feel to early Trump, which humanizes him… but then the story turns into a parable, where the more success he gets the less of the soul he has, and it’s oddly compelling watching this guy basically kill parts of himself in the name of his ego (which hey, the slickly digital look reflects the ugliness of his actions… That’s poetic irony) lol

Jeremy Strong does a very good job as Roy Cohn. He brings intense charisma and sleight humor to the role, despite the fact he’s playing one of the sleaziest lawyers you’ll ever see, the dude makes Saul Goodman look like Atticus Finch. 

But like Sebastian Stan, he brings a humanity to the character by the end, and that’s what’s interesting about this movie… Now let me be clear, this is a “fall to the dark side” story, but we explore the two men’s psychology and humanity in such a way that you understand why they are the way they are, you may not agree with it, but you understand it… and combining a biopic with a character study is a very interesting way to go about it.

Maria Bakalova does an excellent job as Ivana Trump, she brings a sweetness and charm to the role that was enjoyable and impressive.

Also, Charlie Carrick as Fred Trump Jr. really impressed me, every time he was on the screen,I just wanted to give us character a hug.

I did not recognize Martin Donovan as Fred Trump Sr., big props to him and his performance.

For all your history buffs, there’s a scene where Donald Trump meets Andy Warhol… it’s as awkward as you think it would be lol

I do have a few issues with the movie… The second half could’ve been a bit tighter, they left a few dangling storylines and started to lose focus and relied on the “hit the major highlights” that many biopics do… it’s not too bad, but it can feel like you’re listening to a history lesson more than watching a movie. Luckily it’s never too distracting, just more noticeable than in the first half.

Plus, I wish Ivana had gotten more of a wrap-up to her character, we just sort of leave her and one point… and that’s it.

Also, they make some allusions to his future political career that lack any subtlety. It feels like I got hit in the face with not only the frying pan but the hot grease in it lol

On top of that… they did not show him filming his cameo Home Alone II: Lost in New York… huge missed opportunity lol

But I was pleasantly surprised by The Apprentice, I wasn’t expecting much from a “Donald Trump” movie, but the way it explored the characters and gave everything a distinct style, and just the overall storytelling was very interesting, commendable, and kept my attention… I give it a low for stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️