Oscar Nominee Movie Review: THE APPRENTICE
The issue when making a film about a current, polarizing figure is that the audience can not help but enter into the film with pre-conceived notions about said figure.
Such is the case with the Donald Trump, becoming…well…Donald Trump tale - THE APPRENTICE.
Riffing on the title of Trump’s TV series from earlier this century, THE APPRENTICE, written by Gabriel Sherman (INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE) and Directed by Ali Abbasi (TV’s THE LAST OF US) tells the tale of the Apprenticeship of a young Donald Trump to legendary lawyer Roy Cohn.
Much like films such as WHIPLASH and the STAR WARS series, this film looks at how a young, naive individual is molded in the form of their master. Sometimes, like in WHIPLASH, they reject what they are being taught and in other films (like the STAR WARS films), they embrace the teachings of their Master, whether it is good (in the case of Luke Skywalker) or bad (Kylo Ren).
In the apprentice, “the Donald” is under the apprenticeship of famed lawyer Roy Cohn, who is superbly played by Jeremy Strong as a narcicisstic, crass, prejudiced, manipulative, unfeeling, competitive lawyer who will stop at nothing, and run over ANYBODY to get what he wants. It is a masterful performance by Strong who is nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his work here - and it is the strongest male Supporting Acting that has occurred in 2024 (thus far).
These qualities fill a young Donald Trump (played, less effectively by Sebastian Stan - who is nominated for the Best Actor Oscar) and when he starts having success he becomes a narcicisstic, crass, prejudiced, manipulative, unfeeling, competitive Businessman who will stop at nothing, and run over ANYBODY to get what he wants.
The question that needs to be asked is - what is the point of the film? Is it a cautionary tale? A portrait of how an evil entity is created? A hatchet job on a true American Patriot?
It will all depend on what your personal feelings towards Donald Trump is, much to the detriment of this film - which has a Supporting performance well worth a golden statue. One, alas, that Jeremy Strong will not get.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
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