In the midst of a political journey that will pit him against Kamala Harris in the debate for the presidency of the United States, The apprentice has just released its first official trailer. A biopic that tells the story of Donald Trump’s early life in the late 70s and directly copies the name of the reality namesake that the businessman himself presented, decades before even running for the head of the country with the stars and stripes. Yes, the director Ali Abbasi gives him his “cinematic touch” through a characteristic Sebastian Stan who will be much talked about when his performance is officially screened in North American cinemas next October.
A somewhat compromised date for the American elections, knowing that these will take place soon November 5thThe controversy is such that Donald Trump’s team is trying to block the release of the film, while the producers had to announce at the time a campaign in Kickstarter. platform crowdfunding where users invest their money in creative projects of all kinds. However, funding for promotion is not the only problem encountered. The apprenticesince the complications occurred before in the field of distributionwhile one of the main financiers was not satisfied with the portrayal that had been made of Trump. Presented as a preview at the last edition of the Cannes Film Festival, the biopic drama commissioned by Iranian filmmaker was received with the division of a criticism which, in its great majority, considers that has been largely benevolent with the representation of the (still) candidate to occupy the Oval Office.
Trailer for “The Apprentice”‘
We do not yet know how the title will be translated in Spain, although it is very likely that the result will lead to a simple, literal and direct translation. “The Apprentice”. Among other things because it is an X-ray of the transformation of a young man still a little lost in the business world who finds in Roy Cohn a true master of diligence and accession to power. Deceased in the late 80s, the figure of the lawyer was very controversial in American history given that he was the senator’s main right-hand man. Joseph McCarthy during the persecution of suspected communists who were part of the United States government. The role is played in The apprentice by Jeremiah Strongas a key role in the story for the ambitious protagonist’s later influence.
The trailer for The apprentice It reveals a television aesthetic and a still-inexperienced Trump approaching Cohn, accepting his tutelage and preparing to become the politician we know today. According to the official synopsis provided by the film, Cohn sees in Trump to the perfect protégé. Someone with an innate ambition, a thirst to crown the pinnacle of success and a willingness to do whatever it takes to win. The billionaire’s life portrait will also reflect his marriage to Ivana Trumpplayed by the Oscar nominee Maria Bakalova and his relationship with his family, including patriarch Fred Trump, played by Martin Donovan.
The promotional material features some advice from Cohn that suggests how Donald Trump became a competitive businessman and later, the political animal who managed to connect with millions of Americans, earning an endless legion of fans and many enemies along the way. “The first rule is simple: attack, attack, attack”Cohn tells a protagonist who is seen gaining weight and undergoing several cosmetic surgery treatments in the preview cut.
In this capacity, Trump had already made brief appearances in films such as home alone 2, celebrity either Zoolanderbut this is the first time that a film is dedicated to him and in which an actor of the stature of Sebastian Stan assumes his role. At the time, the legal team led by his campaign spokesperson Steven Cheunghas already said he will take legal action over what he called “a fiction dedicated to sensationalist lies” and “election interference by Hollywood elites.”
A filmmaker on the rise
Of Iranian origin but Danish nationality, Abbassi has been directing feature films since 2016, when he made his celluloid debut with ShelleySince then, he has expressed his clarity as a filmmaker, improving with each new story. Border earned him a wide presence in festivals and in the dark thriller of Holy Spider established him as a new voice to be considered in today’s cinema. On the small screen, he directed one of the episodes of the first season of The Last of Us.
However, it remains to be seen how the North American public reacts when it is released in theaters. next October 11thIn Spain, there is still no official date for its arrival on billboards.
