The Apprentice: Making of a Killer

Election moviemaking at its finest

The controversial new film chronicles the younger years of Donald Trump’s insurgence in New York real estate during the 70s and 80s. The Apprentice charts the mentor-mentee relationship between fixer-attorney Roy Cohn and Donald Trump. The former taught Trump how to succeed in real estate and bend the rules to ascendancy, instilling a newfound killer instinct in him. That’s the gist of it anyway. Despite being released in a contentious election year, the film devoids itself from Trump’s political career solely exploring the coming-of-age arc in Trump’s career that made him the person he is today. Consider it an origin story. Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, and Maria Bakalova star as Donald Trump, Cohn, and Ivana Trump respectively. Iranian filmmaker Ali Abassi makes his English-language feature film debut working from a script by Gabriel Sherman known for his biography of Roger Ailes. Much has been made about Abassi’s film, which claims to be an objective telling of the Trump character, not concerning itself with modern-day political tensions. It was stuck in distribution limbo after MAGA backer Dan Snyder found a certain rape scene objectionable leading to Briarcliff Entertainment picking it up after a successful showing at this past Cannes Film Festival. Having been in theaters for over two weeks now with very little box office to show for it and a slew of Trump hate Truths as well, does The Apprentice have what it takes to bring nuance to the 24/7 Trump new cycle? Or is it no different than the constant Trump takedowns circulating on CNN and MSNBC?

The film begins with a young Donald Trump in 1973 at an exclusive New York City restaurant for the ultra-wealthy who is enamored with the ultra-wealthy, singling out Roy Cohn the attorney famous for prosecuting the Rosenbergs. He is brought into Cohn’s orbit after he approaches him to represent the Trumps against the federal government in a discrimination case against African American tenants. Cohn wins the case by blackmailing the prosecutor with comprising photos. Seeing Cohn as a better father figure than Fred Trump, Trump took into Cohn’s mentorship and saw something special in the upstart maverick. He guides him in the world of the elite, showing how to dress and handle the media. But, most importantly, he teaches Trump the three rules necessary to dominate: attack attack attack, never admit wrongdoing, and never claim defeat. Throughout the film, Trump works to build Trump Tower, deals with his alcoholic brother Fred Jr., and falls in love with his first wife Ivana Trump. The film transitions from the 70s to the 80s, where Trump overtakes the master, reveling in the country’s “spirit of greed” of the Reagan era contrasted with the cynical years of the 70s. We see Trump skyrocket, developing new casinos and expanding his business while Roy Cohn takes a backseat suffering silently from AIDS at the height of the epidemic, a closeted homosexual his whole life. At the core of The Apprentice is the early symbiotic relationship between Cohn and Trump and how the two separate and go their separate paths. 

I personally think has been the most important individual of the 21st century responsible for the biggest cultural shift in America and globally. Journalism, media, and global leadership have all shifted either as a response to his rhetoric or in support. Taking on such a monumental figure in film is not a task I imagined many were up to. A Trump impersonation is a rite of passage for all struggling comedians and is a dime a dozen. The only filmmaker I could have imagined tackling Trump would be Scorsese but it feels like we’ve already seen that movie before, otherwise it seemed impossible to me. But, Abassi did it albeit only focusing on his early career but it nonetheless captures the essence of Trump without delving directly into his political career. Full transparency, I don’t like Trump. That’s a soft way of putting it. My politics veer more libertarian with a socially liberal tilt. However, the upcoming election is not about policies unfortunately rather about how we want the future of the United States to look. Many dismiss Trump’s many threats that threaten the American democracy we know and love. I refuse to treat these threats as empty and is why I’m voting against him. Much of our current-day division is indebted to him and his rhetoric. But, on the flip side, the 24/7 new coverage of Trump has diluted the danger he poses and treats his supporters like enemies of the state, stoking further hate in this country. Regardless, I don’t want to dwell on politics and expand on all the reasons I dislike Trump (he’s a criminal too). We’d be here all day. Still, you can admire a guy who never gives up on his businesses, failing and going bankrupt at every turn but still trying to make something. And, to still run for president while being hit by literal trials and tribulations is somewhat admirable at his age. That’s probably where it ends for me. But, I’ll never disparage or fail to understand the appeal of Trump by others. Rather, I’ll lend my sympathy. This is all to put my chips on the deck before reviewing The Apprentice. 

The central point of appraising for The Apprentice has been the brilliant performances of Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong. Playing Trump in today’s climate is a tall task given the abundant Trump impersonations and performances over the years but Stan takes it to a whole new level. He nails every mannerism and piece of body language. But, more impressive than any of that is how he gradually transforms a socially awkward puppy-dawg who isn’t sure he belongs to a ruthless killer who always controls the room. Stan and company get to the root of Trump’s personal life showing him as a son affectionate of a father’s attention in search of a surrogate. Of course, choosing to humanize Trump like this gives way to greater pathos in performance but it’s nonetheless impressive. But, it’s Jeremy Strong who’s been getting all the attention, and rightfully so. Given the non-stop coverage of Trump, I’m sure many didn’t know who Roy Cohn was and how influential he was in shaping his transformation into the man he is, operating in the shadows. Roy’s entire aura transfers into Trump turning him from a curious climber into a ruthless killer and showing him the ropes, yet his performance remains sympathetic. Strong balances the duality of the cold, high-performing attorney who will win at any cost and the vulnerable, closeted homosexual brilliantly. Once his character is diagnosed with AIDs, the dynamic between these two characters changes from symbiotic to withdrawn. We see the hold Cohn has on Trump wear away as the ladder’s self-inflated ego drove him to galavant through life without regard. The way the relationship deteriorates between the two is tragic because while Cohn represents the same hypocrisies Trump makes famous, there’s an innate humanity Strong brings to the role where you see a father lose his son in real-time. Cohn gives all of himself to Trump who seemingly uses it to fulfill his impulsive desires without restraint or even the least bit care about the future of the country or society whereas Cohn at least believed he was being patriotic in his corruption. Abbasi symbolically presents the handoff between Trump and Cohn as the moment when image became more important than substance. Whereas Trump’s displays of excess and an image of success are bastardizations of everything Cohn taught him. None of this could have been accomplished if not for the undeniable chemistry between Strong and Stan, easily two of the best performances you’ll see share the screen all year. 

While The Apprentice is certainly a performance-heavy film, Ali Abbasi proves his worth. I’m admittedly not familiar with Abassi’s work but he really impressed me. He strikes the balance between being showy and subtle in how he captures the rise and fall of his two central characters. He abides by a cardinal filmmaking rule that content begets style. Abassi’s camera is very sporadic and off the cuff, with a handheld documentary feel capturing the intensity and seediness of the top one percent. Yet, every cut and shot feels intentional at the same time. An apt comparison for Abassi here is Oliver Stone. Politics aside, Stone’s style always had a very maximalist freeness that managed to have a contained chaos. What’s common is they know visually how to fit the mood of the story. Abassi may have some of the kinetic energy of an Oliver Stone film, but he also ramps up the film in ways that go over your head. It reminded me of the way Sidney Lumet directed New York movies like Serpico or Prince of the City. In those films, you’d see how the world around these central characters crumbled or how much more isolated they’d grow. Lumet used to alter the lighting, set design, costumes, and other facets that would go overlooked until you revisited the films yet are decisions you feel in the moment. Abassi employs similar techniques to chart the rise of Trump but more importantly the transition between the 70s and 80s. The scenes set in the 70s have a gritty, seediness to them that looks straight out of Taxi Driver. Possibly, Absssi merely employed the visual technique to evoke those earlier films but I think it’s to equate the dinginess of them to the world of the cream of the crop. That moral decay has no class line. But, once the 1980s roll around and the spirit of greed grows alive, the film shifts to a far glossier look. It’s also done to reflect the gaudy appearances Trump put on from the 1980s that are nothing more than artificial displays of wealth. In this period we also see Trump’s romanticization of Strong’s persona wane away as he succumbs to AIDs, and there’s such a strong contrast between the way Abassi shoots him between decades to reflect the changing dynamics in their relationship that’s commendable. 

What makes The Apprentice special is that it can be interpreted from many different angles. On one hand, it’s a film that takes a deep look into what qualities make you succeed in America (the killer instinct). Or a critique of America’s fixation on a culture of winners and losers. The way America’s values are co-opted and mythologized by a boogeyman. The rise of a potential fascist and the appeals they have for the populous. It’s also a great time capsule for the handoff of how America shifted between the 1970s and 80s. So, there are many angles to look at the film but it’ll certainly never be a positive portrayal of the former President, choosing to paint him with ugly brushstrokes and all. Despite being a negative portrayal the politics are never shoved down the throats of the audience the same way Oliver Stone did with W. sixteen years ago. Which is a sign of great filmmaking over anything else. Still, it all makes you bemoan and wonder how our country could have elected such a morally reprehensible individual. You might say that makes the film political but a good chunk of the film is based on real events surrounding Trump’s life that are in the public domain and of course crammed into two hours. Abassi’s ability to allow the audience to empathize and even grow curious for this social climber who desperately wanted to be loved is once again remarkable. However, what really grows on you is that the longer you stay with him the more exhausted you grow. His callousness and pompousness that plague our news slowly build up in him to the point where you don’t even want to be in the same room as him. Still, it’s more than worth your time to stay in the same room as this film. [3.75/4]