The life of a businessman has changed over the decades. Salesmen are cunning and have been blessed with the gift of the gab. They can make everything sound truthful and exciting; without their turn of phrase, they couldn’t climb the corporate ladder. However, corruption and manipulation play major parts in making a deal. The only way to claw your way to the top is to be ruthless and bulldoze anyone in your way.
In Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice, he explores the rise of Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) and the start of his career in New York City. Many people have labelled this as controversial because of the prime subject, but it doesn’t put him on display as much as anyone would anticipate. The foundation of Abbasi’s film is simply a naïve young man looking to make a name for himself no matter what. His directorial style felt observational as if the audience was a fly on the wall in these everyday situations with Trump and Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong).
Throughout, Abbasi would dabble in the extravagance of Trump’s lifestyle through the flare of the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous TV series. He integrated archival footage and recreated interviews with Sebastian Stan that appeared identical to the actual footage. This is truly one of Stan’s most transformative performances. Not only does he nail his cadence, but his mannerisms are even more accurate. He looks slightly similar to Trump when he squints, and the make-up team did an incredible job aging his face. Abbasi grounded Trump’s story, even when he began his antics in the second half. We see the switch from a naïve young man following in his father’s footsteps to an arrogant corporate bully.
The American Dream has always been flawed, but Abbasi shows the cruel nature of the corporate side through overzealous personas like Roy specifically. His tactics used were unconventional. Trump admired Roy for his tenacity and saw him as another father figure because his father was condescending and didn’t give him the confidence to succeed. At the start, you empathize with that young businessman. But it’s undercut by his attitude and his money-hungry intentions.
Roy became the one to mould Trump into the businessman he became, only for him to be even worse than Roy himself. Jeremy Strong is always excellent, but he excelled in portraying the pompous and vile lawyers in New York City. Strong and Stan worked off each other well. The evolution of their relationship during Trump’s milestones was interesting because of the change in Trump. With each new deal and apparent win, Trump was never satisfied and wanted more.
The transitional moment in the film with the most drastic change in Trump was when his brother passed away. Right after, he shuts down, and his emotions are non-existent. He loses his love for his wife, Ivanka (Maria Bakalova) because everything and everyone is accessible to him. There’s no void to fill anymore. He became the richest man in New York City. Stan’s performance in the second half of The Apprentice will constantly surprise you with the accuracy in portraying Trump. The more Trump detaches himself from reality, the more aggressive and outspoken he becomes.
The Apprentice explores the corruption in the American financial system, which stems from Wall Street. Abbasi shows how the rich get richer and their ruthless mentality. Once Trump reached this higher status, he felt everyone else was beneath him. The one thing Abbasi did well was to have humorous moments without mocking Trump. Abbasi made small jabs and weaved one-liners to make the joke effective. For those who are fans of Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong, this was the perfect vehicle to showcase their range and their talents.
3/5
Review by: Amanda Guarragi
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