Hayley Jorja gives the presidential seal of approval to Irish co-production The Apprentice.
Donald Trump’s presidency is the ghost of Roy Cohn, who is still haunting America almost forty years after his death. Yet while Trump is one of the most infamous people in global politics, how many people know Cohn’s name?
The Apprentice brings a real-life villain origin story to the silver screen. Depicting Donald Trump from his early career through his rise to real estate mogul, the film digs at the hows and whys behind the person who transformed American politics for the worst. The “hows” really come down to one man, ruthless New York City prosecutor Roy Cohn. So much of the Donald Trump we know today originates from Cohn, portrayed fantastically by Jeremy Strong. Strong is in his element playing the fast-talking, unapologetically antisemitic, homophobic, semi-closeted Jewish lawyer. He is a powerhouse compared to the pathetic and bumbling Trump we meet at the start of the film.
The slow evolution of Trump into the familiar monster we know today is a marvel. Sebastian Stan, who plays the titular apprentice – for which he deservedly received an Academy Award Best Actor nomination – makes the character his own. Despite nailing the mannerisms and the speech, Stan’s performance never devolves into an impression. His undoubtedly three-dimensional portrayal of the 45th President of the United States does a lot to poke at the truth of Trump’s influence. He’s never portrayed as someone who is destined to change the world, rather his trajectory is depicted as him failing upwards. This was something that was made possible by being in the right place at the right time.
Set in New York circa the 1970s and 80s, this Irish co-production never fails to find humour in the absurd. The film as a whole is chaotic. Director Ali Abbasi paints this world as equal parts crippling poverty and debauched hedonism, a perfect place to explore the real life American Dream. The aesthetics of the film and its handheld camera work give it an authentic documentary feel. DP Kasper Tuxen described his instinct-based, performance-led style of working on this film in an interview with IndieWire, which does a lot to build the hyperreal atmosphere for the film. It perfectly encapsulates the foundations for the circus of the 2016 American presidential race.
The performances all around are a highlight of the film. Maria Bakalova is a delight as Ivana, although her role mostly serves as a vessel to explore Trump’s exploitation of those around him. The film even descends to the level of a truly grotesque rape sequence. She still brings a lot of spirit to the character and there’s a lot of tension brought to the film via the almost love triangle between Trump, Ivana and Cohn. Trump’s formative relationship with Cohn is the true heart of the film. It’s fascinating to watch their dynamic evolve. Outside any political commentary, The Apprentice works as an examination of the relationship between these two people.
The core of this film is the absurdist nature of Trump’s career. He’s portrayed as a pure opportunist with no ambitions outside power for power’s sake. Those he piggybacks off of are not much better. It’s a beautifully clear picture of the hollowness of the American patriotism Trump’s political career has been built on. Despite having a lot to say about the past and present of American politics, the film never sacrifices entertainment for moralising. The Apprentice is a blast from start to finish, punctuated with some really emotional moments.
It seems impossible to satirise the current US political landscape, as fiction could never live up to the insanity of actual events. This fiction around the real-life relationship between Cohn and Trump captures that perfectly. The film has become even more timely in the wake of Trump’s reelection. Only time will tell what the next four years of American politics will mean for the world, but The Apprentice serves as an apt warning of the greed and selfishness at the heart of Trump’s policies. Even with its commentary and historical context, this film is a joy to watch from the beginning to the end.
The Apprentice is available to stream online now.
