Film Review – The Apprentice

“The Apprentice” is trying to create some noise during an already noisy election season, but one has to ask: who is this film really for? It’s reminiscent of the first few years of the COVID-19 pandemic, when moviemakers were determined to create tales of sickness and woe when viewers already had plenty of that in their lives. Is there anything left about the world of Donald Trump that needs illumination? For screenwriter Gabriel Sherman (“Independence Day: Resurgence”), the answer is yes, working with director Ali Abbasi (“Holy Spider”) to create a portrait of Trump’s formative years in the 1980s, where, under the tutelage of lawyer Roy Cohn, he went from a pushover man of business to a show of force as a celebrity and real estate overlord. The details aren’t new, as Trump has enjoyed sustained media coverage for the last 45 years, but the execution is a little wobbly. “The Apprentice” is a bizarre picture, and not a particularly inviting viewing experience, with Abbasi teetering on the edge of making a “Saturday Night Live” short with the endeavor, though he is supported by committed performances from the cast. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com