Decades before he hosted 香蕉视频直播淭he Apprentice,香蕉视频直播� was 香蕉视频直播� an apprentice.
His mentor: Roy Cohn, the ruthless attorney who was a prominent New York power broker in the 香蕉视频直播�70s and 香蕉视频直播�80s after famously serving as a top aide to Sen. Joseph McCarthy.
The Trump-Cohn connection is well known. But in his provocative if not quite shocking, entertaining if not quite illuminating, impeccably acted and inherently controversial film, Ali Abbasi takes it farther.
It香蕉视频直播檚 this relationship, posits the Danish Iranian director, that essentially made a young real estate heir 香蕉视频直播� inexperienced but wildly ambitious 香蕉视频直播� into the man who would become the 45th U.S. president, smashing the norms of American politics along the way.
Speaking of unlikely paths: The mere to the big screen is fodder for its own movie.
Written by Gabriel Sherman and starring an ingeniously cast trio of Sebastian Stan as Trump, Jeremy Strong as Cohn and Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump, the film failed to get picked up at Cannes in May. That was surely due at least in part to a cease and desist letter from Trump lawyers.
Trump香蕉视频直播檚 campaign spokesman called the movie 香蕉视频直播減ure fiction香蕉视频直播� (the filmmakers call their script 香蕉视频直播渇act-based香蕉视频直播�). One of the film香蕉视频直播檚 investors 香蕉视频直播� Trump supporter Dan Snyder, former owner of the Washington Commanders 香蕉视频直播� saw it and wanted out. It was only weeks ago that it would open 香蕉视频直播淭he Apprentice香蕉视频直播� this Friday 香蕉视频直播� less than four weeks before the U.S. election.
So, what kind of movie do we have here?
Contrary to some descriptions, Abbasi says his film isn香蕉视频直播檛 a biopic at all, but a look at a relationship 香蕉视频直播� and at a system that香蕉视频直播檚 about winning at any cost.
He香蕉视频直播檚 also not, he says, trying to be political 香蕉视频直播� an admirable goal but perhaps an impossible one. In any case, it香蕉视频直播檚 hard to imagine anybody coming to this film to make their mind up about Donald Trump. While it香蕉视频直播檚 hardly a hit job 香蕉视频直播� the early Trump scenes are somewhat sympathetic 香蕉视频直播� his supporters, should they come at all, will likely not be fans of many later scenes, most dramatically a rape scene with wife Ivana. Trump is also shown having scalp-reduction surgery to combat baldness, among many other things.
But the core of the film is his relationship with Cohn, whom a young Trump, son of Queens developer Fred Trump, meets in the 香蕉视频直播�70s. 香蕉视频直播淎nybody who香蕉视频直播檚 anybody comes here,香蕉视频直播� he tells an uninterested date in an exclusive Manhattan club. 香蕉视频直播淭hey say I香蕉视频直播檓 the youngest person ever admitted.香蕉视频直播�
He香蕉视频直播檚 invited to Cohn香蕉视频直播檚 table. Trump hopes the brash attorney will help his family fight a federal case alleging they discriminate against Black tenants. Cohn eventually agrees. Soon, he香蕉视频直播檚 also paying the bill for Trump香蕉视频直播檚 much-needed upgrade to expensive Brioni suits. He invites Trump to one of his wild parties, attended by notables like Andy Warhol, where, 香蕉视频直播渋f you香蕉视频直播檙e indicted, you香蕉视频直播檙e invited.香蕉视频直播�
Most importantly, Cohn imparts to Trump his three most important rules. First, 香蕉视频直播淎ttack, attack, attack.香蕉视频直播� Then: 香蕉视频直播淎dmit nothing, deny everything.香蕉视频直播� And finally: 香蕉视频直播淣o matter what happens, you claim victory and never admit defeat.香蕉视频直播�
The younger Trump is portrayed here as a bit of a charmer 香蕉视频直播� there are even comparisons to Robert Redford 香蕉视频直播� with lovingly tended hair, aching to succeed and please his exacting father. Stan, on a roll after the recent about a wholly different kind of transformation, gives a nuanced performance that manages to capture Trumpian qualities but not to mimic. Although familiar mannerisms and speech patterns emerge as Trump ages, this is no 香蕉视频直播淪aturday Night Live香蕉视频直播� skit.
As for Strong, who better to play Cohn than the exquisitely tortured Kendall Roy of 香蕉视频直播淪uccession香蕉视频直播�? Strong, famous for losing himself in roles, seems to have heard the word 香蕉视频直播渞eptilian香蕉视频直播� and, through sheer force of will and talent, found a way to actually resemble a snake.
Trump proves an eager learner, and Cohn香蕉视频直播檚 help proves instrumental in achieving the younger man香蕉视频直播檚 vision: placing a luxury hotel right on 42nd Street, a sleazy area he aims to revitalize. With some Cohn-esque pressure on city officials, the gleaming Grand Hyatt opens in 1980.
That香蕉视频直播檚 three years after Trump marries Ivana, the Czech-born model he meets at the club and doggedly woos. for 香蕉视频直播淏orat Subsequent Moviefilm,香蕉视频直播� is terrific, both warm-hearted and fiery in her famous blonde updo.
Their failing marriage makes for the film香蕉视频直播檚 most shocking scene. Ivana tries to spice up their sex life, but her husband says he香蕉视频直播檚 no longer attracted to her 香蕉视频直播� he even hates the fake breasts he made her acquire. She insults him back, and he forces himself upon her violently. (Ivana Trump, who died in 2022, accused Trump of rape in a sworn statement in the 香蕉视频直播�90s but
Ivana has turned cold and bitter by the time she informs Cohn, now dying of AIDS, that a bejeweled gift Trump just gave him is a mere cheap imitation. 香蕉视频直播淒onald has no shame,香蕉视频直播� she says.
Soon, the mentor is gone. And 30 years after the film ends, Trump will become president. This film香蕉视频直播檚 biggest lack is the connective tissue 香蕉视频直播� we don香蕉视频直播檛 ever really understand, alas, how young Trump became President Trump.
But we do at least see the power of Cohn香蕉视频直播檚 lessons. As Trump sits down at the end with the writer he香蕉视频直播檚 hired to co-author his 1987 香蕉视频直播淭rump: The Art of the Deal,香蕉视频直播� he recites for him his three most important rules.
Guess what they are?
香蕉视频直播淭he Apprentice,香蕉视频直播� a Briarcliff Entertainment release, has been rated R by the Motion Picture Association for sexual content, some graphic nudity, language, sexual assault, and drug use. Running time: 120 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.
