User reviews

I saw this at a premiere screening and was blown away. The story is well told and accurate, which was refreshing. It was a reasonable portrayal of a fascinating man. What really got me was the acting. Sebastian Stan was phenomenal. He nailed Trump's mannerisms, and yet never fell into a caricature.

Jeremy Strong did a fantastic job of portraying Roy Cohen. The only thing that didn't quite land for me was that the character of Roy Cohen was presented as somewhat sympathetic and not as sinister and psychopathic as he actually was (not Strong's fault - that was the script). Other than that, an excellent and thought-provoking biopic.

The title "The Apprentice" refers both to Donald Trump's TV show and to Trump's relationship with his mentor, Roy Cohn. The film is neither a takedown piece nor a glowing testimonial. It's much more nuanced and complicated than that.

The first half of the film takes place in 1973. Donald Trump is collecting rent from deadbeat tenants. He and his father are being sued by the Justice Department for housing discrimination. Their lawyers are urging them to settle the suit and move on. But then, a twenty-seven-year-old Trump meets Roy Cohn. A shady character on the fringe of rightwing politics (he made his name as lead counsel for Joseph McCarthy's communist witch hunt), Cohn recommends that the Trumps seize the initiative and countersue the federal government. With Cohn in charge, the case goes away with no admission of wrongdoing. Cohn also guides Trump through the machinations of NYC politics, helping him take over a boarded-up Commodore Hotel, secure tax abatements from city government and ultimately transform the property into the Hyatt Hotel at Grand Central Station. Along the way, Cohn teaches an impressionable Trump his three rules: 1) attack, attack, attack, 2) deny everything, admit nothing, 3) no matter what actually happens, always claim victory.

The last half of the film is set in the early 1980s. Trump opens his namesake Tower. He becomes convinced that Atlantic City's casinos will be his path to untold riches. And he hires a writer to pen "The Art of the Deal." By this point, he has fully mastered the art of self-promotion.

At its core, "The Apprentice" is an origin story. Iranian-Danish Director Ali Abbasi ("Holy Spider," "Border") and "Vanity Fair" writer Gabriel Sherman argue persuasively that Trump was molded, almost created, by Roy Cohn. But Cohn's influence eventually wanes. Even as Trump's star ascends in the 80's, Cohn is disgraced (he's disbarred for stealing from clients) and marginalized. He eventually dies of AIDS (although he claimed to his dying breath that he was suffering from liver cancer). By the time "The Art of the Deal" is published, Trump has decided that Cohn's three rules and his own fame were based on Trump's ideas all along.

Director Abbasi also points out the weird confluence of factors that have helped Trump flourish: a ruthless, winner-take-all version of capitalism that deifies those who succeed; a legal system easily manipulated by the rich to crush opponents or to postpone their own day of reckoning (after screening at Cannes, this film received a "cease and desist" order from Trump's attorneys); a US political system that has no idea how to constrain an individual who operates according to Cohn's three rules.

The acting here is superb. As Roy Cohn, Jeremy Strong (Kendall on TV's "Succession") is simply mesmerizing. He compellingly embodies the internal contradictions of Cohn, a lawyer who shows complete disdain for the legal system, a Jewish man who embraces antisemitism, a closeted gay man who publicly demeans homosexuality at every opportunity. Sebastian Stan (Marvel series) as Trump and Oscar-nominated Maria Bakalova ("Borat" sequel) also are worthy of note.

"The Apprentice" is certain to annoy those who love Trump as well as those who love to hate him. It's an origin story that offers a scathing assessment of American culture and American politics. It demonstrates persuasively that one of America's most unique and distinctive personalities - and the rules that animate him - were actually crafted, molded and created by somebody else.

The film's director said in a recent interview that he wasn't sure if this film would enhance or detract from Donald Trump's reputation...

Having watched it, I'm not sure either...

It certainly starts off by making him look more human than perhaps he or some of the media have in the last few years...

How he's changed by the apprenticeship under Roy Cohn & the money & the power is certainly one of the themes...

The shots of him in the 80's that are made to look grainy like 80's TV are a nice touch...

If I have one criticism (which is why I gave it a 7) it is that the screenwriter didn't seem to know how to end it...

But it's worth watching just to see how well Donald Trump, Roy Cohn & Ivana Trump are portrayed... and how they are developed through the film...

The Apprentice is a standard issue biopic that covers as much of Donald Trump's rise as possible. What makes it better than that sounds are the strong performances and stylish filmmaking, which elevate it into something more memorable. A supervillain origin story is an extremely fitting description for a film that's main ambition is to show how a monster was created and lost any shred of humanity that was there to begin with.

Sebastian Stan gives an amazing performance shortly after his phenomenal performance in A Different Man, proving he's the best actor currently working in and out of the MCU. He nails the look, mannerisms, and bullish personality of Trump and comes closer to looking like him as it goes along. Jeremy Strong was born to play roles like this due to his ability to convey a dominant and unflinching presence with ease, plus it's not his first time doing this either.

Ali Abbasi's direction has a strong grasp of the tone as Stan taking the final step into his Trump transformation is horrifying in more ways than one and uses Kasper Tuxen's frenetic documentary style cinematography to bring a lot of energy to the proceedings. The soundtrack contains some appropriately lively songs to keep that energy going and the score by Brian Irvine, Martin Dirkov and David Holmes doesn't sound how you'd expect, which works in its favour.

I went into this movie without knowing much, it just popped up on my radar on opening night, so I had to check it out. I expected some tension at the theater, but there wasn't any, which was a relief. Overall, I didn't get any political vibes from the film. As for accuracy, I can't say for sure, but in America's current climate, what is truly accurate anymore?

The acting was phenomenal. Some actors and production team members will likely pick up awards, if not the movie itself. The story was decent, not overly exciting, but interesting because the main character was once the President, and everyone has some opinion about him. It was fascinating to get a glimpse into his life. A lot of it felt grounded in reality, though who really knows. It didn't seem far-fetched, but there were definitely some cold, crazy moments.

Essentially, it's about how Trump became Trump, which isn't inherently interesting, but the draw is seeing a revealing look at such a private figure. Private in the sense that we never really know if what he says is true. In fact, that is one of his mantras according to the film. The movie didn't impact my political views, but I recommend checking it out, if only to support a crew that took a risk with a film bound to get backlash.

This film was utterly brilliant from start to finish. The acting was definitely the best part and led by two extraordinary performances: Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong. This is the best work I have seen from Sebastian Stan, and one of the best works from Jeremy Strong (Succession is still his best). Stan completely becomes the character of Trump. He doesn't try mimicking him, but rather portrays a nuanced performance. In the best way possible, this film feels like it was made in the 1970s. The look, the atmosphere, and the performances really encapsulate the feel of 1970s films. One aspect I really loved about the film was that it was an actual good film. If you took out the fact that it is about Donald Trump, and made it completely fictional, it would still be a great film, and the two leads would still be great performances.

Wow, I did not expect to like this as much as I did.

Donald Trump, a business man with ambitions and a lot of family backing. The Trump name is under a lawsuit on the grounds of racism, Donald meets a man named Roy Cohn, he is a big time lawyer who has defeated the government and holds a shaky reputation. Roy goes beyond the case as he takes a liking to Donald and shows him the ropes of how to be the best of the best. The rise of Donald Trump is rooted in Roy Cohn.

Seeing a large part of Trumps life like this is really interesting. I'm not 100% on what's fact or fiction or what has been stretched but the movie is very believable.

Seeing Donald pick up Roy's habits and manners is very interesting, the hand gestures and the over use of adjectives is very funny. He took what Roy thought him and turned it to the max.

Playing fast and lose with his families fortune, bending the rules, favours, blackmail, all a very entertaining story, 7/10.

Movies have been taking wild swings lately and I'm here for it. Megalopolis was a lovely mess, Joker 2 was messy without being lovely (but it took risks I guess), Terrifier 3 genuinely made me nauseous (I slept poorly last night because I also saw it last night), and now The Apprentice goes to some insane places. There are a couple of points where I wondered "are they allowed to show that?" I was shocked.

The shocking scenes generally have a purpose. I think the film's argument is presented without much subtlety, but I guess some people still think Jordan Belfort's cool based on The Wolf of Wall Street, so who knows. Then again, there is one very alarming scene in this though that feels like it's there to say unequivocally what the filmmakers think of Trump's character. It will be the most controversial scene. Will Trump sue? Has he begun that process already? There is also a lack of follow-up to that scene that left me even more uneasy and upset. I think that was the intent. Some people will not like it - people who both like and dislike Trump - and I wonder if it'll make The Apprentice this year's Blonde.

The writing lays things on thick in The Apprentice, and I don't think it quite knew how to end, but I otherwise found this engrossing. The three leads - Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, and Maria Bakalova - are phenomenal. Juxtaposing Trump's rise with Roy Cohn's fall was an inevitable angle to take, but it makes for extremely compelling drama. It is a blunt movie but there is some nuance in parts that I think will provoke discussions and/or arguments. I don't always love provocation, but when it feels purposeful and is backed up with good filmmaking, I'm on board. This film's going to stick in my mind for a while.

Greetings again from the darkness. Many questions remain unanswered, but one point is clear ... Donald Trump was not 'born' this way. Ali Abbasi directs a script from journalist Gabriel Sherman (Vanity Fair, New York Magazine) and it's meant to explain the foundation of the man who would become President. Two distinct parts of the film are divided into the 1970's and then the 1980's, and that first part is infinitely more interesting and better presented.

Sebastian Stan is best known as Bucky Barnes in the Marvel Universe, but here he captures the essence of a Donald Trump many won't recognize. In the 1970's, Donald was a VP of his dad's real estate development company, and his big dreams were constantly squashed by either a domineering dad or a system that made no room for vision. This was a young (late 20's) Trump who was told he resembled matinee idol Robert Redford, and that he was foolish for trying to rescue Manhattan from the cesspool of decay it had become. In fact, Trump deserves much credit for at least dreaming of a bounce back from a city on the verge of bankruptcy.

Donald's life (and the movie) shift into overdrive once powerhouse attorney Roy Cohn (a remarkable Jeremy Strong, "Succession") summons him to his dinner table. Cohn was previously an attorney for the infamous Senator Joseph McCarthy and was the chief prosecutor in the espionage trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. By the 1970's Cohn was the ultimate fixer and one of the most powerful attorneys in the country. We watch as he mentors and trains and counsels the young buck Trump by instilling his three rules: 1. Attack. Attack. Attack. 2. Admit nothing. Deny everything. 3. Claim victory, never admit defeat. These are the foundations of "the art of the deal", and really beyond that ... how to be a ruthless businessman and person.

That first awkward meeting led to a mentorship that is truly fascinating to watch on screen. Cohn pushing the eager Trump to become the shark he needs to be, all while his dad, Fred Trump (Martin Donovan) fights him each step. Stan and Strong are mesmerizing in this first hour. Stan captures Trump's familiar body language (slumped shoulders and hair fixation), while Strong hypnotizes with his steely-eyed stare. Trump mixes with powerful men like Rupert Murdoch, George Steinbrenner, and even Andy Warhol (whom he cluelessly asks if he's "successful"), and then fixates on Ivana (a terrific Maria Bakalova), ultimately marrying her ... it's the prenup agreement scene where the film shifts.

Jumping ahead to the 1980's, we find an arrogant Donald Trump ignoring Cohn's advice to slow down and reconsider the Atlantic City casino and hotel. Of course, time proves Cohn right, but by now, Trump listens to no one. An unethical approach to business dealings and his gaudy taste in everything becomes obvious at this point - from furnishings to cufflinks. Also, his treatment of family becomes apparent - not just with Ivana, but also with his brother Freddy (Charlie Carrick), who dad refers to as an "embarrassment" to the family since he's a commercial airline pilot and not a greedy capitalist in the family business. This humiliation leads Freddy to tragic alcoholism, and a brief sign of Donald's emotions.

The film's second half weakness stems from a Trump personality that is too similar to what we've been witnessing on the national level for the past decade. It's truly painful and disgusting to watch a man who cares so little for others or for what's right, and seizes on Cohn's tactic of cloaking himself in love of country to appear heroic. By this time, Trump distances himself from Cohn for a reason that highlights his lack of humanity. We also see Trump claim Cohn's three rules as his own while meeting with his biographer, and we note the roots of MAGA.

It must be noted that after the film was warmly received at Cannes, no distributors bid on it. Donald Trump had threatened a lawsuit. It took Briarcliff Entertainment to bravely step forward for the film to gain a theatrical release. Director Abbasi not so slyly opens the film with a fitting stage-setter: a clip of Watergate-era Richard Nixon proclaiming, "I'm not a crook." It's a legitimate question as to whether a movie about Donal Trump can avoid feeling a bit like a parody, even when it's not. My initial interest in the film was in comparing this early Donald Trump to my memories of him during that era - how he was presented in the media. It comes across as spot on, but of course, we would have had no concept of how Cohn was molding him. That's what this film accomplishes.

Opens in theaters on October 11, 2024.

The file was all about the true apprentice, not necessarily the one from the TV show, but how he became that man under the apprenticeship of Roy Cohn and on that mandate it delivers. Great performances especially by the two leading actors and very to the point storyline without added glam to make it unnecessarily fun. I think it was about time the world saw where and how the Trump playbook was written and what created the person that we all have to deal with today. If anything, it's worth watching at least once just to see how terrible mentors can take an apprentice and produce what might arguably be considered a manufactured aberration.

As a Brit, I find the Trump shenanigans in the news both absurd and astonishing, yet oddly entertaining at times. This film seemed to capture some of that chaotic energy, but unfortunately, it didn't hold my attention for long. The acting was solid and well-delivered, but the story itself felt rather uninspired. While the premise had potential, it never really developed into something gripping. By the halfway mark, the plot seemed to skim along without much substance or depth. It left me feeling quite disengaged, and overall, I found it pretty dull and forgettable. I was hoping for more complexity or nuance, but it just wasn't there.

The Apprentice is a new biographical drama directed by Ali Abbasi, director of Holy Spider and Shelly.

The young Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) takes his first steps in the business world in the seventies and starts his own business empire.

Under the guidance of lawyer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), Trump learns how to gain power in America, which only increases his desire for this. However, this does not always lead to the best end results for the country and its inhabitants.

Making this film took some effort, because producers and actors did not want to pay for or cooperate in a film that puts Donald Trump in a bad light. Trump and his campaign people are also against this film and do not like it that it was released. According to them, there is very little in this film that is correct and it tells many lies. However, some of these lies have been proven by others and there has even been a lawsuit about some of them.

With this film they also try to playfully show how someone like Donald Trump became the person we know him as. Roy Cohn did many wrong things as the devil's advocate, but often managed to get out of it. Because of this influence, Trump probably went the wrong way more in his life and thus caused both good and bad things in America.

Because they present the film in a more playful way, the film sometimes lacks some clear details as substantiation or explanation for Trump's actions and choices. Because of this, the film can lose some of its power, which can make it come across more as a kind of parody film.

What works best in this film is the acting. Sebastian Stan knows how to portray Trump in a good and recognizable way as the world now knows him. He does this by using an almost identical way of speaking, posture, movements and later also of speaking. Jeremy Strong also plays the role of Roy Cohn and recognizably. A more hypocritical lawyer, who devilishly managed to work secretly along the lines of the law for his own interest, or that of his clients.

Good biopics focus on one aspect of someone's life, and that's exactly what 'The Apprentice' does. In this case, it's Donald Trump's business relationship with his lawyer Roy Cohn. It's a great narrative: Trump, eager but inexperienced, learning the dirty tricks about business deals from Cohn. And then, when he has learned everything there is to learn, turning his back on the man who has made him into what he is.

It's great drama, and it's also great fun to watch. Ali Abassi really succeeds in recreating the 'greed is good'-vibe of the era, when honesty and integrity made way for money and profit. Things are moving fast for Trump, and for the viewer, particularly in the first part of the film. To watch Trump's climb from ordinary rent collector in his father's apartment complex to powerful real estate developer is great cinema. In the second part, Cohn becomes less important for Trump, who is dating Ivana. Their courtship is a also very entertaining part of the movie.

In a way, it's really Jeremy Strong playing Roy Cohn who steals the show. He is absolutely great as the ruthless lawyer without any scruples. His three rules of doing business would become essential in Trump's career. Sebastian Stan as Trump is also amazing: without overdoing it, he shows some of the typical Trump-mannerisms. Even his way of talking is spot-on, without becoming a parody.

Is this a political film? Yes and no. Essentially, this is the story of a businessman making it in New York. The film ends in 1986, when Cohn dies. At that time, Trump had not even started his TV-career, let alone his political endeavors. But Abbasi couldn't resist the temptation to include the 1980 interview whith Rona Barrett, in which he jokes about running for president. And the film starts off with Nixon's famous words about 'not being a crook'. A subtle, but crystal clear message.

It's a coming-of-age biopic of Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) from 1973 to 1986 (age 27 to 40) set in New York City and Atlantic City. It covers the time of Trump's relationship with controversial lawyer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong). The film's secondary story is Trump's relationship with his family-- father Fred, Sr. (Martin Donovan), mother Mary Anne (Catherine McNally), older brother Fred, Jr. (Charlie Carrick), and first wife, Ivana Zelnicková Trump.

Donald Trump is the apprentice, coached by Roy Cohn to attack, deny everything, and never admit defeat. We see Trump's gradual detachment from Cohn and Trump's engagement in projects not advocated by Cohn. Throughout the film, we meet other New York celebrities like Andy Warhol (Bruce Beaton), Mayor Ed Koch (Ian D. Clark), Mobster Tony Salerno (Joe Pingue), Rona Barrett (Valerie O'Connor), and Rupert Murdoch (Tom Barnett). The film ends with Trump talking to the ghostwriter of "Art of the Deal," Tony Schwartz (Eoin Duffy).

"The Apprentice" does some things well. The relationship between Cohn and Trump seems authentic. Jeremy Strong is magnificent. However, Donald's relationship with his father and family seems short-changed and doesn't match what journalists have written. The script inserts Trump's later verbal clichés into the story a few too many times. "The Apprentice" is no documentary, but it gives one engaging spin on what made Donald Trump the personality he is today.

I watched the film in the cinema, for the first time in English, I was very impressed, a very pleasant atmosphere, the director returned to us in the 70-80s, the film contains a lot of elements: this is AIDS, prostitution, pimping, homeless people, homosexuality, the Italian mafia, Russian caviar and vodka, the actor Games are at their best, Sebastian Stan played the role of young Trump well, speech, gestures and facial expressions are at their best, as if you were watching Trump himself on the news, but I liked the role of Jeremy Strong even more, in Roy Cohn's video (an Oscar nomination is guaranteed), and Maria Bakalova in Ivan Trump's video with a funny Russian accent pleased me. There is a lot of music from the 80s, I myself love music and I really liked the films of that time, it is inserted where necessary, allowing you to take a break from what you saw and listen to the music. The main character: young Trump, appears in a change of his way, young, insecure, not knowing how to position himself as closed and to the public, while he is full of plans, he wants to return a new look to New York, position cool office skyscrapers and fashionable hotels. But how he changes after meeting Roy Cohn in a New York restaurant in 1973, where the whole retinue gathered, that already with the arrival of the 80s and the new president Reagan, we have a different person in front of us. I really liked how the director showed Trump's attitude to his loved ones, friends, colleagues and relatives. I can't say anything about the authenticity, but this is a feature film. Everything in the Cinema, I would even say that this film is similar to the film The Wolf of Wall Street, where Young Trump = Leonardo DiCaprio.

If you're expecting something biographical about Trump's life, this probably won't cut it. But as a full length movie, I enjoyed the chronology of it and liked seeing how the elements of political corruption and power were interwoven into the movie.

The first half of the movie was stronger than the second half as it showed Trump's rapport with his wife and family. By the end, a lot of the focus turned to Roy Cohn and the excitement dropped off.

As someone who did not vote for Trump in three consecutive elections, I ended up enjoying this more than I anticipated. Normally two hour movies can be a buzzkill, I didn't mind sitting through it.

For those thinking this is some sort of Donald Trump biography, they will be disappointed as this is simply about how this somewhat innocent young man, though I suppose there are those who never think of him in that way, was created and turned into the cold, calculating and ruthless New York businessman that everyone thought was super successful. That is what everyone thought then and the film ends before anything more about him is revealed. It's hard to know with this man in any capacity what is true and what is not, but much of this seems to be based on verifiable facts. The film is centered around Trump, of course, and his early relationship and the man who created the Trump persona, the infamously ruthless and cruel Roy Cohn. The facts about the brother seem pretty accurate as are his boredom with his first wife and his philandering. The cleverness of Sebastian Stan's performance is watching him slowly evolve more and more into the Trump we are familiar today. It's a very good performance. Even better though is Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn. And for those who thought that Maria Bakalova's Borat was a one hit wonder, think again. The film is fairly straightforward and uncomplicated. I think it's good, but I don't think it's anything special. Surprisingly, the latter part of this presents a somewhat compassionate view of Cohn when ill with AIDS. I have never seen Cohn ever presented in a positive view before and the reason for that is Cohn is not a man deserving of our sympathies. It is a plum role though as Strong proves here and Al Pacino proved in Angels in America. Too bad he was real.

The films is unable to get across why Cohn took such a liking to Trump. Real life Trump must have made quite an impression on the lawyer for him to take him under his wing the way he did. But Trump in the film seems like an uninteresting guy, just a generic money/power driven guy.

I think the film failed to give people a sense of what younger Trump must have been like.

It could be that the director got caught up in his own bias about Trump, even though he claims to have taken a neutral position. This seems dishonest and the unconscious bias gets in the way of telling the story.

Take the film Scarface as an example. Scarface is a bad guy, but his fire, ambition and energy come across in that film so well. Not in the Trump film, no. And if he really was this cutthroat businessman than maybe the fear of glamourising this behaviour is exactly what makes the film boring, because we do not get a sense of the business gangster attitude that made Trump so big.

The only thing i liked about the film is the depiction of Cohn. Never had heard of the man, but in the film he is way more captivating than any scene with Trump.

I was really quite disappointed with this. It focusses on the rise of Donald Trump, and in that role Sebastian Stan proves quite effective at mimicking some of the famous mannerisms of the man himself. The facial expressions and the habit of repeating himself to thrust home his point are well captured by this performance. The rest of it, though, came across as little better than crude, occasionally violent, speculation centred around his relationship with the celebrated, and much feared, attorney Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong) whose thinly disguised homosexuality proves to be a more telling indictment of a New York that was beginning to come to terms with AIDS. Trump's rise from wealth to greater wealth and prosperity is skirted over too superficially with little meat put on the bones of his property acquisitions, developments and battles with an Ed Koch-led city hall, and it's all presented a bit too episodically weakly. Maria Bakalova acquits herself well enough as Ivana but as to the drama concerning the rest of his family, that's undercooked and I struggled to identify the accent(s) that seemed to be coming from his mother (Catherine McNally) as the importance of that torrid family unit struggles to impact on the story. For me, Strong steals his scenes and delivers well as the manipulative and scheming lawyer with few scruples, but the rest of this is all a bit of a soap that will probably polarise opinion as effectively as does Donald Trump himself.

Seeing Ali Abbasi's amazing movie "The Apprentice" leaves you with a feeling of anxiety. How can someone be so empty of feeling and morality, and more importantly how can someone like that be voted by millions of people to rule a country. Ali Abbasi explores all of these facets in a highly stylistic and captivating portrait of a man that had it all, and craves for more.

The Apprentice follows Donald Trump in a specific era of his career, from the beginning and into the madness that spiralled into his huge successes in the 90s and especially his relationship to his lawyer, Roy Cohn.

First of all I gotta say this movie is GORGEOUS, it has style, the vintage grainy feel of the 80s/90s is replicated in such a beautiful way it makes every single frame filled with details and colours that pop. The feel of the era was definitely made with care, and the music as well with some well-chosen great tracks that accompany the scenes. The movie never feels dead, it's always moving forward. The comparisons to movies like Wall Street etc is super apparent but Ali manages to make it his own. It's a portrait that is highly not glamorous and super anxiety inducing because it truly is appalling how someone can even be like that.

The acting is phenomenal and supreme, especially Sebastian Stan that delivers a frightening performance- this really is the Trump that we've seen on tv.

If there's one negative thing that I can think of this movie is that perhaps it doesn't explore many of the film's relationships in a deeper way. Some of the characters in the movie feel a bit cut off from the narrative, this doesn't deter from how great the movie is though.

Go watch it!

Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong give committed performances in this cinematic portrayal of Donald Trump's early career, from his stepping out of his father's shadow in taking on the ambitious endeavor of rebuilding and reshaping the Commodore Hotel to his early heydays in the 80s when his business empire started to venture into casinos.

Stan does an impressive job of conveying the character arc of Trump where he goes from a confident but self-entitled daddy's boy in the 1970s into a more narcissistic and arrogant tycoon by the end. The film has a glum feel in the 70s that shifts into a sleeker but more demonic aura in the 80s. It's Jeremy Strong who steals the film with a stunningly complex turn as Roy Cohn, the ruthless but psychologically tortured prominent attorney, who takes Trump under his wing in the beginning.

It's a decent overview of Trump's beginnings in adult life and by the end, his words and mannerisms sound a lot more familiar. The later stages of the film offer a glimpse into the grandiose persona who would come to view any kind of power as his due. Recommended to anyone who keeps an open mind.

My wife and I really enjoyed this at the Bristol Watershed cinema, just a few days before the 2024 US election, which could see Trump return to the White House. This is highly entertaining and the 2 hour running time zipped past.

We can't stand today's Trump who has really become a caricature of himself. This film gives a more human vision of Trump. By playing opposite Jeremy Strong's incredibly ruthless and uncompromising Roy Cohn, he seems almost like a benevolent every man. Sure, there are moments when the modern day monster peeks out, but these are quite rare.

I have to highlight Jeremy Strong's performance as this was truly remarkable and I would not be at all surprised to see him receive some recognition when awards season comes around.

As "The Apprentice" (2024 release; 120 ,in) opens, it is the early 70s and young Donald Trump is spotted at a face restaurant by layer and fixer Roy Cohn. For reasons unclear and never really explained, Cohn decides to take Trump under his wings, with Trump becoming "the apprentice". At this point we are less than 10 minutes into the movie.

Couple of comments: this is the latest from Iranian director Ali Abbasi. ("Border"). He brings to the big screen a period in Trump's life covering roughly 15 (1972-1987). If you have followed politics in this country over the last 9 years, starting when Trump came down the moving stairs in Trump Tower to announce his candidacy for president, nothing in the movie comes as a big surprise, as it simply (re)confirms what we know of Trump. The magic is that is brought as if you were a fly on the wall. Not enough can be said of the amazing performance by Sebastien Stan, whose authenticity will blow you away. The rest of the cast is terrific as well, including Jeremy Strong (as Cohn), and up-and-coming Bulgarian actress Maria Bulkova (as Ivana). Kudos as well to the film makers for recreating the New York of the 19070s and 80s.

It will not surprise you when I mention that the movie is being reviled by Trump and the MAGA extremists (without of course actually having seen the movie), and Trump's lawyers tried all they could to stop the movie's release in the US, to no avail. "The Apprentice" premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival, to immediate acclaim. The movie is currently rated 77% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and that sounds about right to me. The movie opened in US theaters this weekend, and I couldn't wait to see it. The Saturday matinee showing where I saw this at the arthouse theater here in Cincinnati was attended nicely, with about 25-30 people attending. If you have an interest in knowing what Trump was like 40-50 years ago, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.