Review
THE APPRENTICE – Review
It is not the old TV show but Donald Trump’s “apprenticeship” under his attorney and mentor Roy Cohn, the corrupt lawyer whose ruthless approach to the law did so much to make the young Trump who he became. Starring Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump and Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn in powerhouse performances, THE APPRENTICE is a making-of-the-man drama that starts out with a darkly comic bent but then shifts subtly to a more serious one as the relationship between mentor and apprentice shifts.
While the filmmakers are clearly not pro-Trump, the tone of THE APPRENTICE has a surprisingly neutral tone towards the people in the film, treating them as just people and letting events unfold without commentary. It even seems a bit sympathetic towards the young, almost naive Donald Trump as he encounters the legal pit bull that is Roy Cohn, someone often described as evil, then at the top of his powers as a New York fixer. But even Cohn is treated as a human being, just one with a very different view of ethics.
Early on, attorney Roy Cohn teaches his young apprentice his three rules, the ones he follows in his legal business. Number one: Attack, attack, attack, in every case. Two: Deny, deny, deny, no matter what the facts. And three: No matter what the outcome, always declare victory. Roy Cohn built that ruthless reputation in the Cold War “Red Scare.” Roy Cohn first made a name for himself as a relentless commie hunter for his role in prosecuting the Rosenbergs, and pressing for Ethel’s execution despite her being the mother of young children. He continued the hunt for suspected communists with a young Richard Nixon, and then Sen. Joe McCarthy. When McCarthy’s unethical methods fell out of favor, Cohn moved on to became a powerful “fixer” for corporate interests.
When the two first meet, Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong of “Sucession”) is at his height as a powerful, crooked New York lawyer who was a mover-and-shaker in New York City, while young Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) is a small-time real estate businessman with bigger ambitions. Young Trump and his father Fred are facing federal charges for racial discrimination in renting apartments when the young Donald caught Cohn’s eye at a posh restaurant frequented by the notable and notorious, inviting the tall, blonde young businessman to join him and his party for dinner in a private room.
The meeting was an eye-opener for Donald, and he immediately sought out Cohn, despite his real estate dealer father Fred’s opposition to Cohn as a crooked lawyer. Young Trump chased Roy Cohn until the attorney reluctantly took the Trumps’ case, which he got dismissed through a combination of delaying tactics and a little blackmail, using Cohn’s extensive of “dirt” he continually collected on any and all public figures. Trump is hooked, although at first, young Trump is a bit shocked and taken aback by Cohn’s lack of ethics.
Sebastian Stan is having a heck of a year, starring in this film as well as the thought-provoking A DIFFERENT MAN, but it is “Succession’s” Jeremy Strong who steals this show. His Roy Cohn is perfectly sleazy but also hypnotic. Strong takes his Cohn from scary beyond words at the start but with a sharp intelligence and magnetic personality, to a sadder, eventually even pitiful as the power shifts and Cohn’s health declines, as he suffers from AIDS, which he always denied having, even suing anyone who said he was gay.
Roy Cohn makes a deal with Trump to aid each other and be friends, rather than having a paid attorney-client relationship, clearly seeing a useful potential in the tall, blonde, handsome young man to gain entry to spheres of power less open to the short, less attractive, closeted-gay lawyer.
Roy Cohn imparts to his apprentice his three rules – always attack when confronted with an adversary or obstacle, always deny no matter what the facts, and always declare yourself the winner not matter the outcome. Cohn follows this rule in his legal work but not her personal life, but his apprentice takes a different path. In the first part of the film, the mentor is in charge but tables turn in the latter part.
At first, Trump is Cohn’s faithful accollite, and Cohn even becomes like a second father to him, a more supportive one than his own criticizing father. The film delves into the Trumps’ family dynamics, including his father Fred’s harsh treatment of Donald’s older brother, Fred Jr. It also shows us Trump meeting and wooing Ivana (an excellent Maria Bakalova), following their romance and marriage, and it’s final souring, including a controversial rape scene.
The film keeps us grounded in historical events by giving us markers with little news video snippets, starting with Nixon and his “I am not a crook” speech, then Reagan footage and references.
Scriptwriter Gabriel Sherman and director Ali Abbasi strike a perfect neutral tone that lets the actors work their characters and events unfold without commentary, making the film more powerful.
This is an impressive film, one that treats the people in this historical drama as human, and even sympathetic at times, while being clear-eyed about the facts. That is no small feat, and boosted by riveting performances, especially by Jeremy Strong, this is a must-see for anyone to understand the man running for president, Donald Trump.
THE APPRENTICE opens Friday, Oct. 11, in theaters.
RATING: 4 out of 4 stars
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