As a film critic who has spent countless hours dissecting and analyzing the intricacies of cinema, I must say that “The Apprentice” left me feeling rather underwhelmed. Don’t get me wrong, it was an interesting attempt to portray one of the most controversial figures in recent American history, but it fell short in many respects.
Kitty Green’s 2020 film, “The Assistant,” focuses on a woman employed at a movie production company, which serves as a stand-in for the Harvey Weinstein-like figure. This powerful but toxic boss is not depicted on screen. Instead, the film captures the mental anguish of a working-class woman who endures such a reprehensible character in her workplace. Green’s unique visual approach challenges the usual American narrative that gives preference to toxic individuals in positions of power. In corporate America, “bad boys” are often celebrated as heroes instead of being criticized for the terrible consequences capitalism can bring about. It’s easier to merely conform to corrupt systems than to confront them. The media landscape is saturated with depictions of wealthy, corrupt individuals. It seems taboo to highlight marginalized lives and their struggles, which might expose flaws in American society.
In the end, the character portrayed as the Assistant successfully pushed out wealthy, harmful individuals from the spotlight. Instead of exalting the elite 1%, Green chose to delve into the emotional distress these individuals cause or how institutions such as HR departments contribute to the normalization of reprehensible actions. Watching The Apprentice, a series about Donald Trump’s early life, reminded me of The Assistant. Though Ali Abbasi’s latest film is critical of Trump, it’s important to note that portrayal does not equate to support. However, analyzing Trump’s upbringing doesn’t add much value. Unfortunately, this movie, like many others, focuses more on depicting detestable rich white people as captivating subjects rather than the marginalized individuals they harm.
Set in the 1970s, the story of The Apprentice introduces us to Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan), a young man struggling alongside his father Fred Trump (Martin Donovan). In an attempt to escape a racially biased housing lawsuit, they seek assistance from Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong) – a notorious attorney often referred to as the embodiment of Satan due to controversial actions like extorting politicians or assisting Joseph McCarthy in damaging the lives of suspected communists. Despite their stark differences, Trump and Cohn form an unlikely alliance. Over time, Cohn shapes Trump in his own ruthless image, teaching him that success can be achieved through uncompromising brutality.
The saying “never concede” and the notion “truth is flexible” are phrases spoken by Cohn that seem to have an impact on Trump’s mindset. Eventually, this man once known as a joke in the Trump family becomes the one managing a series of busy casinos and towering New York skyscrapers. He even marries Ivana Trump (Maria Bakalova), although his father remains reluctant to fully accept him. The character of Donald Trump in Gabriel Sherman’s The Apprentice script eventually surpasses the level of infamy associated with his mentor. It appears that a destructive force has been released, one that will continue to thrive even after Cohn is gone.
The cinematography of “The Apprentice” echoes the gritty and grainy visuals of 70s films directed by William Friedkin or Alan J. Pakula, filled with unsavory characters. However, unlike those movies, Sherman’s screenplay condenses roughly a decade of Trump’s life into a well-organized narrative framework. This narrative progression portrays Trump transforming from a reserved wealthy individual to an uncontrollable force. The storytelling style is similar to typical historical biopics, featuring familiar third-act plot points where characters like Cohn express shock at the transformation of this man. In a crucial climactic scene, Cohn snaps at Trump, “It’s good to see you’ve lost your last traces of decency.
It’s all too formulaic. It’s simply not dramatically involving watching Trump become his inevitable horrific self. The journey getting there is riddled with clumsy moments. Eventually, important figures in Trump’s 2015-onward political activities like Roger Stone have their names unveiled like they’re the alter-egos of superheroes in a Marvel movie. Other scenes, like Trump discovering the term “make America great again”, echo the worst moments from music biopics where an artist stumbles onto the title of a future chart-topper. Not since Origin tried to wring “crowdpleaser moments” out of Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor’s “gotcha” moments in a slavery argument has a politically conscious movie’s writing felt this miscalculated. The Apprentice needed to focus on upending expectations rather than inspiring “oooooohs” or “I know that!” responses from the audience.
In Sherman’s work, there’s no spark of originality that could potentially ignite. He seems more committed to catering to this film’s version of “fan service” and conventional storytelling, with very little twist or subversion. The movie, The Apprentice, presents an embodiment of American corruption in a rather predictable manner. This lack of innovation extends to the cinematography and direction. Unfortunately, the initial party scene at Cohn’s house sets a visually unremarkable tone. Donald Trump is depicted wandering around a gathering bathed in tinted red light and filled with various excesses. Trump even steps over a man on the floor wearing a Richard Nixon mask, presumably spent from filming Point Break. The visuals displayed on-screen are nothing new when it comes to portraying extravagant corruption among the wealthy. This consistency fails to stir the necessary anger or surprise about Trump’s interactions with the upper class.
In simpler terms, the struggle between outdated depictions and sensationalism found within “The Apprentice” is highlighted when it presents Ivana Trump’s accusation of being raped by Donald. This scene is remarkable as it’s rare to find a movie that dares to portray a real-life U.S. President committing such an awful act. However, Ivana as a character in “The Apprentice” isn’t fully developed, and she primarily exists for the male characters to sexually violate her. The way her distress is shown by Abbasi and team is quite basic. While this scene challenges the usual glorification of Presidents in movies (like the recent Reagan biopic), it also adheres to typical film norms for portraying women. Unfortunately, “The Apprentice” fails to offer anything new or original because it settles for what has been done before.
Ali Abbasi effectively demonstrates his talent by eliciting powerful performances from his cast, particularly Sebastian Stan, who convincingly portrays Trump in “The Apprentice.” While the storyline may lack intrigue as Trump becomes increasingly boisterous, Stan’s performance subtly captures this transformation. Gradually, Stan’s character on screen takes on more and more distinct Trump traits (most notably through body language), much like a dirty snowball rolling down a slope. This gradual progression allows Stan to showcase his remarkable attention to detail as an actor.
In this intriguing production, it’s I who find myself acting alongside the talented Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn. Unlike his more flamboyant performances in “The Trial of the Chicago 7” and “Armageddon Time”, here Strong delivers a subtler, more grounded portrayal that keeps me hooked. Yet, it’s worth noting that this representation of Cohn seems to challenge one essential aspect of The Apprentice’s narrative.
Despite Trump and Cohn being 19 years apart in reality, the characters Stan and Strong appear to be about the same age. Their relationship seems more like siblings than a father and son, which was intended. Strong is an excellent actor, yet he struggles to convincingly portray being two decades older than Stan. As a result, the central relationship in The Apprentice never fully develops as intended.
Much of this feature is like Strong’s work as Roy Cohn. Serviceable in many respects, but also far from fulfilling its full potential. The Apprentice too often runs on fumes opting for standard narrative and visual cues rather than going truly transgressive. Director Ali Abbasi has said cinema must “deal with the rising wave of fascism”. Certainly, this artform can challenge manifestations of that fascism like a U.S. politician many Holocaust survivors and their descendants say evokes Adolf Hitler. However, filmmaking this perfunctory doesn’t challenge the status quo. There’s a reason the unhinged and deeply unorthodox Southland Tales is now considered a better indictment of Bush-era America than the uber-traditional biopic W. Unlike more visually subversive and proletariat-oriented projects like The Assistant, The Apprentice leaves little to no impression. It doesn’t upend expectations so much as it packages real-world monsters into tidy narrative confines.
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2024-10-11 15:45