The Apprentice
The Apprentice
A young man took over his father's real-estate business in 1970s and '80s New York, and got the helping hand of an infamous closeted gay lawyer who helped him turn this young man into a notorious legend. Based on true events.
Varun reviewedNovember 14, 2024
A decently entertaining biopic. I think most people are wondering what the point of its existence is when there’s tons of media that already covers Trump’s past, but I think this movie did a good job capturing his psyche while exploring an interesting relationship with Roy Cohn. Sebastian Stan is unbelievably good in this role, really nails Trump without coming off as a goofy SNL skit. And Jeremy Strong gives a powerful performance too. I really liked the use of film grain and camera movements that gave a feel of an 80s documentary. I didn’t mind that there was no major plot in the second half since the focus just shifts to Trump’s descent into megalomania. This is not just a story about one man, but the story of America. The rich and elite always come first, they will be bailed out by the government in every single crisis while the lower classes foot the bill. The game is rigged. If you think it’s astonishing that Trump never landed in jail for the innumerable crimes he’s committed, then you’re a fool who bought into America’s “morally righteous” promises. And the populace seems like they never evolved their brains since the Wild West era as they’ve consistently been conned by snake oil salesmen. It’s very interesting to see how the power dynamics play out, is Trump just a calculated and lucky guy, or has he deluded himself on such a grand scale that his unbreakable faith in the 3 rules of winning has bent the will of the world to one man’s wiles? I used to think his primary motivation was just to look out for himself but this movie makes me wonder if the only thing he cares about is “the art of the deal” and seeing how much power he can amass by continuing to win against all odds, like an addict who can’t stop playing God and using a whole nation as his playground. The most powerful country on Earth is in the hands of a deplorable psychopath. This is also a reflection on humanity’s worst impulses and how easily we are co-opted by madmen and their devious propaganda machine. I hope we somehow find a way through this dark period of history, if there’s any destination even left at the end with the looming ecological crisis that will only worsen under Trump.