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18th October 2024
05:08pm BST
The idea of Donald Trump biographical drama The Apprentice arriving in 2024 is a tricky thing for American audiences.
Those who are pro-Trump don't want to see a film featuring anything negative about the businessman turned politician, while those anti-Trump probably do not want to witness a nuanced portrayal of the figure.
Plus, there's the fact that Trump is currently going up against Kamala Harris in the 2024 US Presidential election and is in the news constantly. Audiences are probably heading to the cinema to get a break from the Republican nominee, not see more of him.
That said, for European audiences, the movie - partly funded with Irish money - is an easier sell, thanks to its great cast and the fact that it focuses on a side of Trump's life perhaps less well-known to those outside of America.
Indeed, there is a lot to like about The Apprentice. The film begins with Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan, Fresh) as a young man in gritty '70s New York - which is beautifully recreated through warm, grainy visuals by director Ali Abbasi (Border).
At the time, Donald's cruel, domineering, real-estate mogul dad Fred Trump (Martin Donovan, Tenet) is being investigated by the federal government over alleged discrimination against African-American tenants - something which threatens the family's wealth.
Frequenting clubs in the hopes of mingling with the richest and most powerful people in New York, Donald soon meets the notoriously tough and controversial lawyer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong, Succession).
As Cohn winds up representing the Trump family in their legal battle, the lawyer mentors the aspiring young businessman - teaching him all his cut-throat tactics on how to make it in America.
While very close at first, Cohn and Trump's relationship sours during the '80s - particularly as Trump becomes more famous and marries model Ivana (Maria Bakalova, Bodies Bodies Bodies) and as Cohn's life takes a drastic turn.
The real-life Trump has been hugely critical of The Apprentice. Not only did he try to block its release, but he has taken to social media to condemn the picture.
It's clear to see why he would object to his portrayal in the movie as it is extremely unflattering of the politician - suggesting a real fearlessness on the part of Abbasi, Stan and the screenplay's writer, journalist Gabriel Sherman.
Whether or not you agree with the film's stance on Trump, the trio do paint a compelling picture of the household name as a product of his environment - being taken under the wing of two hard-nosed, vicious father-figures in both Fred Trump and Cohn, as well as growing up during a garish '70s New York and the 'greed is good' mood of '80s America.
Over the course of The Apprentice, we witness Stan's version of Trump transform from a relatively normal seeming person into more of the brash, cartoonish person we all know today.
As Sherman's script depicts the moral degradation of its lead character, Abbasi alters the look of his movie to match that rot - going from a palette which evokes that beautiful glow of '70s-style film to a harsher digital video quality.
The performances are all excellent, though the real stand-out is Strong as Cohn - who manages to somehow be so terrifying yet also darkly humorous while remaining totally monotone and still. If the film was about a less hot-button topic, he would be in with a shout at the Oscars.
It must be said, the movie does suffer from some of the flaws that often hinder biopics - certain subplots aren't given the time viewers might like, there are lots of winking references to Trump's life after the events of the film.
However, the '70s and '80s focus and the sharp critical eye on its subject make The Apprentice one of the more gripping, tighter entries in the biographical drama genre in recent years.
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