There are films which, by the nature of their subject matter, are destined to be controversial. The Apprentice (The apprentice), by Ali Abbasi, is such a film. And for good reason: this biographical drama unveiled in official competition at Cannes tells the story of the rise in the business world of a very young man named Donald Trump. Specifically, the film focuses on the mentoring relationship that the future American president had with the late lawyer Roy Cohn, an infamous figure if ever there was one. On the other hand, Sebastian Stan proves very persuasive in the main role, facing an incredible Jeremy Strong in that of Cohn. Despite a formal notice from the Trump camp, The Apprentice is due to be released on October 11. Exclusively, Ali Abbasi tells us about his firefight from a room in… the emblematic Trump Tower in New York.
It should be noted that the screenplay is by Gabriel Sherman, journalist and author of The Loudest Voice in the Room: How the Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News — and Divided a Countrya devastating biography of Roger Ailes, the ousted chairman of Fox News. Having read the work, Ali Abbasi admits to having had certain a priori.
“I perceive Gab as a liberal. One thing is certain, conservatives consider him liberal. So, when I read his script, two things happened. First, because of Gab’s work on Ailes, I expected a hyper-negative treatment of Trump, but it turned out to be more nuanced than that — perhaps even too much for my personal taste. Then, I asked myself: why am I being asked, in particular, to direct this film? »
For the record, Ali Abbasi’s previous feature film, The nights of Mashhad (Holy Spider), also shone at Cannes, where Zar Amir Ebrahimi won the Best Actress Prize. Based on facts, the film returns to the investigation of an Iranian journalist to unmask a serial killer who committed a series of feminicides facilitated by a context of religious fundamentalism. In short, between true story and sociopolitical subtext, one could argue that the filmmaker of Iranian origin, based in Copenhagen, was an obvious choice.
The main person concerned has another explanation: “I believe that the producers wanted my point of view as someone external to the situation, and not having any affiliation with the liberal or conservative fringes. [américaines]I brought a non-partisan perspective, which is crucial when tackling such a polarizing figure. »
Polarizing, and notoriously bellicose, not to say vengeful… Thus, last May, Donald Trump’s lawyers sent a formal notice to the film’s producers with the aim of preventing its “promotion, distribution and publication” . The communications director of Trump’s presidential campaign also threatened legal action. Worried, Ali Abbasi?
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried, or that I wasn’t worried. But life is too short. How many times in a lifetime can we hope to make a movie about Donald Trump, and then talk about it live from Trump Tower? But seriously, when you’re dealing with such a controversial subject or person, it’s impossible to satisfy anyone. Whatever you do, it will be found that you have not gone far enough, or that you have gone too far. We will decide that you were unfair to the person, or on the contrary that you were complacent and humanized them too much. Being aware of that from the outset was liberating, because I knew I didn’t have to compromise, since the reception would be what it would be anyway. »
When you deal with such a controversial subject or person, it’s impossible to satisfy anyone.
Obsessed with details
As stated, The Apprentice benefits from a pair of pretty exceptional performances from Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong. Became a Hollywood star thanks to Marvel blockbusters Captain America and its sequels, including both films AvengersStan has since demonstrated the extent of his register: see the satire I, Tonya (Me, Tonya), the horror film Freshthe series Pam and Tommyor even the recent A Different Man. The fact remains that, on paper, Stan is not an obvious choice to play a young Donald Trump. And yet…
“With Sebastian, we started discussing the film in 2019,” reveals Ali Abbasi. You have to understand that we lost funding several times. And so, Sebastian had plenty of time to think about the film and the role. You know, he’s an actor obsessed with small details. He is very, very meticulous. And to play Trump, I think those qualities were ideal, because with a character like that, there’s always a danger of falling into an SNL sketch. »
In the same breath, Ali Abbasi explains that Jeremy Strong, unforgettable in the series Successionalso has an obsessive side that suited Roy Cohn’s role perfectly. A lawyer who once had Julius and Ethel Rosenberg sentenced to death for espionage, Cohn then participated in Senator McCarthy’s anti-communist purge. A closeted homosexual, he died of AIDS-related complications in 1986, a few weeks after being disbarred.
Strong’s composition is striking, between ordinary monstrosity and repressed humanity, which emerges poignantly at the end, at the time of a terrible assessment.
Jeremy Strong is not the first to play Roy Cohn: James Woods (in Citizen Cohn / The power of Roy Cohn) and Al Pacino (in Angels in America) have famously interpreted it in the past.
“It’s funny because I recently ran into Jeremy having dinner with Al, and I took the liberty of inviting myself to their table: it was just so incredible to see these two Roy Cohns talking. In addition to his attention to detail, Jeremy brought an element of naturalness to the role, even if it is a more flamboyant score, and which offers more latitude in terms of the scale of the game. Jeremy has become a bit of a driving force: when he is on screen, we feel the energy that emanates from him, and when he is not there, we almost feel a void. On camera, the bond between Sebastian and him is really good. »
Judged by History
So, soothing or stripping, The Apprentice ? Since we are witnessing, in short, the creation of an absolute careerist (this is the ultimate observation of the film), there is undoubtedly more of the second than the first.
“The stakes are high,” notes Ali Abbasi. We will be judged by History. If, as a director, I was too gentle with Trump, History will remember that I retouched and softened his image. If I was too harsh, History will remember that I was only one among the legions who wanted to burn him down. With the presidential election just around the corner, these issues are even more pressing. »
Moreover, does Ali Abbasi believe that his film could have any impact on the said election? “I think this added context, knowing where Donald Trump comes from, can give a better understanding of the human being that he is. Now… can this encourage people to vote for him, or against him? I don’t know. »
Obviously, all this is valid to the extent that the film is indeed released… Given the legal hassles, could the release really be compromised?
Shrugging his shoulders, Ali Abbasi concludes: “The team and I are dealing with forces so much bigger than us, and over which we have no control. However, I refuse to censor myself, and this is a conversation I have had with many funders. But… he who laughs last laughs best. »
The movie The Apprentice hits theaters October 11.