A young Donald Trump, eager to make his name as the hungry second son of a wealthy family in 1970s New York, comes under the spell of cutthroat lawyer Roy Cohn. Cohn sees in Trump the perfect protege: someone with raw ambition, a hunger for success, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to win.
(C) The New York Times
The first half of the film already perfects the message it wants to convey. We see it in Sebastian Stan's eyes. We see it in the world they are introduced to. Add in the brassy, tough attitude of the film, and it's mesmerizing to follow.
Then, we reach the second half. For a figure as popular and TV-ready as President Donald Trump, pretty much everyone already has an opinion of him and is familiar with his shticks. Perhaps this is why the people behind The Apprentice felt the need to go on the offensive in some scenes to leave a shocking impression. While these scenes did their job well, they sometimes come off as distracting from what had already been successfully showcased.
But when you have Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong leading the film, how can one find ay wrongdoing in it? They're hypnotizing on the screen. Stan convincingly plays Trump as if he had been studying him for years, while Strong continues to prove he's one of the greatest actors of his generation. Also, as we reach the end, it comes full circle with some striking scenes that neatly wrap up his transformation.
Maybe America still hasn't fully figured out their current president, but The Apprentice knows who he really is. With that, the film can claim victory. 3.5/5 ⭐
Film is now playing in PH cinemas.
