‘The Apprentice’ Review: Sebastian Stan Nails Trump in Terrifying Drama
Sebastian Stan transforms into Donald J. Trump through the origin story of one of the most crooked individuals in the history of the United States, in ‘The Apprentice’.
The most fascinating aspect of Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice involves the real-time transformation of Donald J. Trump, from an aspiring businessman with larger-than-life aspirations to the magnate who perfected what he refers to as ‘The Art of the Deal’ but, in reality, only cares about himself. Grippingly portrayed by a transformative Sebastian Stan, Abbasi’s film chronicles Trump’s humble beginnings in the shadow of his father, Fred (Martin Donovan), working under the tutelage of prosecutor Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), who teaches him what it takes to succeed so he can write his version of the American dream.
For Cohn, one should abide by three simple rules: a) Attack, attack attack, b) Admit nothing, deny everything, and c) Claim victory, and never admit defeat. This is what Trump has continuously done throughout his career as a real estate magnate, and as aspiring politician who then became the 45th President of the United States. However, Abbasi does not chronicle this aspect of Trump’s life, and why should he? History is still being written as we speak, in the ‘interesting times’ we live in. Still, there’s enough meat to the bone to showcase how Cohn’s apprentice became the revered businessman and TV personality, and eventually despised political figure when he decided to enter the arena, to shockingly win the presidency in 2016.
The shift is stark, and Abbasi does not showcase it gradually. Rather, he splits the movie into two halves, with the first focusing exclusively on Trump being mentored by Cohn, who has a total disregard for the law and basic human decency. The mentor/mentee relationship is interesting enough but lacks teeth. Strong, in particular, is the film’s weakest link. He’s as boisterous and intense as Cohn was in real life, but the way in which the character is treated has zero complexity, or nuance in his performance. It’s all in-your-face showmanship that works for a while, but gets tired, especially when he needs to register deeper emotions when he is stricken by AIDS and becomes completely irrelevant to Trump’s quest for power.
The movie holds nothing back in showcasing exactly who Trump and Cohn are, such as a scene where Trump accidentally stumbles upon Cohn in an orgy with a group of men around him or the rape of Donald’s first wife, Ivana (Maria Bakalova), by her husband. This is also what caused controversy before its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, which prompted Trump’s legal team to send a cease-and-desist letter to the filmmakers and producers to stop the film's distribution and eventual release.
Too bad for them because it is coming out, and the portraits of both public figures depicted here are far from flattering. Is it as condemnable as some people made it out to be? No, but it’s still a compelling shift in atmosphere and character, particularly regarding Stan’s iteration of Trump. No one was more unconvinced than myself in Stan being the right fit to play The Donald, whether in his former life as a businessman or as President of the United States. However, he completely immerses himself in what could be the role of a lifetime for Stan, showing a range of the likes of which were never seen before by the actor, if you can believe it.
Many actors nailed the voice or, more hilariously, Trump’s train of thought (James Austin Johnson does it well on Saturday Night Live), but no one has nailed the subtle shifts in mannerisms and tone the way Stan does on this level. At first, Abbasi presents him as a charming man with good looks, high aspirations, and a timid demeanor, but never in the caricatural sense of the word. He doesn’t treat him with compassion either – it’s all fascination. How did he become the man he is today? How does he put on such a show like the way he does now? Abbasi pulls back that curtain with aesthetic verve from cinematographer Kasper Tuxen, who deftly captures the texture one gets from film emulsion in a film worthy of Costa-Gavras until he switches to an imitation of VHS camcorders during its 1980s half, arguably the scariest part of the movie.
It will arguably divide audiences because it does not explicitly showcase the psychological shift Trump underwent between the two decades Abbasi depicts here. It feels similar to Matt Johnson’s approach in BlackBerry (another Canadian production), where it chronicled the humble beginnings of Research in Motion and cut to its eventual downfall. Trump does not experience a downfall (well, he does now, but that’s a story for another time) but becomes meteorically successful through the construction of numerous properties within New York and Atlantic City. Of course, we all know how many of those ended up now, but the success is so skyrocketing that he becomes infatuated with power and believes himself invincible.
It's where Stan operates at his most thrilling. Soon, the imitation of his most-known traits begins to hide insecurity and control, especially after he experiences the death of his older brother, Fred Jr. (Charlie Carrick), from a heart attack. In interviews, Trump has consistently praised his brother and had great reverence for Fred as a good-looking, charming, and intelligent man whose unfortunate addiction to alcoholism led him to an early grave at only 41 years old. It’s also the only time Abbasi imbues Trump with an iota of compassion, making their relationship feel deeply human and loving, which he does not showcase in front of Ivana or his children, Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric.
When Ivana asks Donald to hold Don Jr. in his arms, he does so, but reluctantly, never fully connecting with the person he helped create with his wife, almost as an object for him to eventually work into the family business (which he does). These implicit moments give The Apprentice its raison d’être: deconstructing the Trump method with such minute aplomb that you don’t realize what Abbasi is doing until its final scene, where Donald sits down with Tony Schwartz (Eoin Duffy), who will eventually write his most-known book, TRUMP: The Art of the Deal.
In that scene, Trump’s physical transformation is complete, in the wake of a Satoru Ogura-esque liposuction scene (oh yeah, it’s gross), but his psychological mindset has been completely rewired. Stan has been subtly priming us for such a scene throughout the movie, slowly morphing into the man who built a brand around his personality and no-nonsense style of deal-making. This all comes to light in a sequence in which he, like all great con artists, appropriates Cohn’s ideas and makes them his own, taking full credit for his success and the business empire he built around shady, corrupt practices.
It's there that Abbasi’s message becomes as clear as day and acts as a warning. Not a political one, but a moral one. It doesn’t eviscerate Trump the way many Democrats or more left-leaning viewers would want to see happen. Instead, it alarms us about the unfettered dangers of capitalism and power-hungry individuals who will always seek opportunities to benefit themselves and their friends within the 1%. Perhaps the references to known individuals in Trump’s life, such as Roger Stone discussing Ronald Reagan’s “Let’s Make America Great Again!” slogan, are a bit too on the nose. But there’s a deeper subtext in how Abbasi portrays this critical moment in Trump’s career that eventually catapults him to what he thinks is the next logical step. The rest, as they say, is history, and it is still in our hands to change its course, for better or worse.