FILM REVIEW: "THE APPRENTICE" GETS THE JOB DONE
New York City, 1973: somethings rotten in the Big Apple.
A young Donald Trump's desire to redevelop derelict midtown New York lands him in a web of deceit, spurned by cutthroat attorney Roy Cohn; sparking a relationship between the two men that will forever alter the United States of America.
A Manhattan symphony of tire-tread and champagne effervescence overscores the underworld of New York elites, as Cohn shares his three golden rules, of which this review will follow:
Attack, attack, attack: with litigation, lawsuits and reputation on the line, The Apprentice walks willingly into the line of fire. Neither farce, nor parody, this biography-drama documents the tower of cards that tumbled beneath Trump's early empire. Marvel alum, Sebastian Stan, delivers a meticulous performance of Donald Trump that evolves from scrutinous schoolboy to lickspittle leader; whilst Succession star, Jeremy Strong, uses Roy Cohn's dead-eyed stare to judge your every move.
Deny everything: Unlike other biographies which speed through lifespans in lightspeed, The Apprentice negates bulldozing politics in favour of scalping Trump's real-estate era. Amidst a skyline that lends itself to the gargantuan, The Apprentice makes bold statements, and paints an empire built on broken favours - and has, unsurprisingly, earnt the il-favour of the former president and co.
Even when you lose, claim you won: as foundations fall and empires rise, The Apprentice manages a feat often denied by 'true stories': a captivating ending. Though the wary may know the fate of certain alum, The Apprentice wrings them for all their narrative similitude, presenting this true tale in a commendable and captivating drama.
With committed performances; a razor-sharp script; and a fearless attitude in the face of persecution; The Apprentice offers a timely and important character study - and one that could, potentially, shape the world. No Great Ape clambering the Empire State, nor Kaiju lacerating lady liberty - this New York story shows the horror and carnage that permeates the ground floors, and how it can rise all the way to the penthouse suite.