Decades before he hosted 91裸聊视频淭he Apprentice,91裸聊视频� was 91裸聊视频� an apprentice.
His mentor: Roy Cohn, the ruthless attorney who was a prominent New York power broker in the 91裸聊视频�70s and 91裸聊视频�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.
It91裸聊视频檚 this relationship, posits the Danish Iranian director, that essentially made a young real estate heir 91裸聊视频� inexperienced but wildly ambitious 91裸聊视频� 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.
Trump91裸聊视频檚 campaign spokesman called the movie 91裸聊视频減ure fiction91裸聊视频� (the filmmakers call their script 91裸聊视频渇act-based91裸聊视频�). One of the film91裸聊视频檚 investors 91裸聊视频� Trump supporter Dan Snyder, former owner of the Washington Commanders 91裸聊视频� saw it and wanted out. It was only weeks ago that it would open 91裸聊视频淭he Apprentice91裸聊视频� this Friday 91裸聊视频� 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 isn91裸聊视频檛 a biopic at all, but a look at a relationship 91裸聊视频� and at a system that91裸聊视频檚 about winning at any cost.
He91裸聊视频檚 also not, he says, trying to be political 91裸聊视频� an admirable goal but perhaps an impossible one. In any case, it91裸聊视频檚 hard to imagine anybody coming to this film to make their mind up about Donald Trump. While it91裸聊视频檚 hardly a hit job 91裸聊视频� the early Trump scenes are somewhat sympathetic 91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频�70s. 91裸聊视频淎nybody who91裸聊视频檚 anybody comes here,91裸聊视频� he tells an uninterested date in an exclusive Manhattan club. 91裸聊视频淭hey say I91裸聊视频檓 the youngest person ever admitted.91裸聊视频�
He91裸聊视频檚 invited to Cohn91裸聊视频檚 table. Trump hopes the brash attorney will help his family fight a federal case alleging they discriminate against Black tenants. Cohn eventually agrees. Soon, he91裸聊视频檚 also paying the bill for Trump91裸聊视频檚 much-needed upgrade to expensive Brioni suits. He invites Trump to one of his wild parties, attended by notables like Andy Warhol, where, 91裸聊视频渋f you91裸聊视频檙e indicted, you91裸聊视频檙e invited.91裸聊视频�
Most importantly, Cohn imparts to Trump his three most important rules. First, 91裸聊视频淎ttack, attack, attack.91裸聊视频� Then: 91裸聊视频淎dmit nothing, deny everything.91裸聊视频� And finally: 91裸聊视频淣o matter what happens, you claim victory and never admit defeat.91裸聊视频�
The younger Trump is portrayed here as a bit of a charmer 91裸聊视频� there are even comparisons to Robert Redford 91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频淪aturday Night Live91裸聊视频� skit.
As for Strong, who better to play Cohn than the exquisitely tortured Kendall Roy of 91裸聊视频淪uccession91裸聊视频�? Strong, famous for losing himself in roles, seems to have heard the word 91裸聊视频渞eptilian91裸聊视频� and, through sheer force of will and talent, found a way to actually resemble a snake.
Trump proves an eager learner, and Cohn91裸聊视频檚 help proves instrumental in achieving the younger man91裸聊视频檚 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.
That91裸聊视频檚 three years after Trump marries Ivana, the Czech-born model he meets at the club and doggedly woos. for 91裸聊视频淏orat Subsequent Moviefilm,91裸聊视频� is terrific, both warm-hearted and fiery in her famous blonde updo.
Their failing marriage makes for the film91裸聊视频檚 most shocking scene. Ivana tries to spice up their sex life, but her husband says he91裸聊视频檚 no longer attracted to her 91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频�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. 91裸聊视频淒onald has no shame,91裸聊视频� she says.
Soon, the mentor is gone. And 30 years after the film ends, Trump will become president. This film91裸聊视频檚 biggest lack is the connective tissue 91裸聊视频� we don91裸聊视频檛 ever really understand, alas, how young Trump became President Trump.
But we do at least see the power of Cohn91裸聊视频檚 lessons. As Trump sits down at the end with the writer he91裸聊视频檚 hired to co-author his 1987 91裸聊视频淭rump: The Art of the Deal,91裸聊视频� he recites for him his three most important rules.
Guess what they are?
91裸聊视频淭he Apprentice,91裸聊视频� 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.
