The Apprentice Movie, The Young Trump Biopic

I saw about 90 minutes of 120 minutes of this movie last night at our Cinema. After about 90 minutes the Projector in Our Cinema conked out. I continued the movie in my Amazon Prime Account in my Apartment. I  enjoyed the movie very much! The rape scene ( Trump raping Ivana) was edited out.

Actor Sebastian Stan- as a young Donald Trump was Oscar nominated for the Best Actor, 2025. 

Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong Say Their Trump Movie Is a Tragedy, Not a Mockery

The “Apprentice” stars and the director Ali Abbasi say their film is a “humanistic” treatment of the former president and his mentor, Roy Cohn.

The Apprentice received rave reviews and an 8-minute standing ovation after its Cannes Film Festival premiere in May. Simultaneously, though, reports emerged that the film’s principal financier, Kinematics — founded by producer Mark Rapaport, son-in-law of the billionaire and known Trump donor Dan Snyder — had objections to a pivotal scene in the movie where a young Donald rapes his then-wife Ivana Trump. Days later, Trump’s real-life lawyers filed a cease and desist letter threatening to sue the producers and any future distributors of The Apprentice. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/10/movies/the-apprentice-sebastian-stan-jeremy-strong-interview.html

The Apprentice is a 2024 biographical film that examines Donald Trump's career as a real estate businessman in New York City in the 1970s and 1980s, including his relationship with attorney Roy Cohn. Directed by Ali Abbasi and written by Gabriel Sherman, the film stars Sebastian Stan as Trump, Jeremy Strong as Cohn, Martin Donovanas Trump's father Fred, and Maria Bakalova as Trump's first wife, Ivana.

An international co-production between Canada, Denmark, Ireland, and the United States, the film was announced in May 2018, but languished until Abbasi, Stan, and Strong joined in 2023. After premiering at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2024, and despite impressing the critics, sparking an eight-minute standing ovation at Cannes, "strong reviews, [and] feverish media attention" the film struggled to find American distribution due to its subject matter and an attempt by Trump's legal team to block its release. Briarcliff Entertainment eventually bought the rights, and theatrically released it on October 11, 2024. The film received generally positive reviews from critics for its acting, directing, and editing; Trump, meanwhile, described it as a "defamatory, politically disgusting hatchet job" intended to harm his 2024 presidential campaign.

For their performances, Stan and Strong each received an Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA acting nomination, with Strong also earning a SAG Award nomination. The film grossed $17 million on a $16 million budget.

Legal issues

Trump described the film as "a cheap, defamatory, and politically disgusting hatchet job" and described those involved in it as "human scum".

Billionaire Dan Snyder, formerly the owner of the Washington Commanders NFL team, invested money in the production of The Apprentice with the impression that the film would be a positive portrayal of Trump. Snyder is a close friend of Trump who donated $1.1 million to his inaugural committee and Trump Victory Committee in 2016 and $100,000 to his 2020 presidential campaign. After seeing a cut of the film in February 2024, Snyder was said to be furious, and lawyers for the Snyder-backed Kinematics production company sought to stop the release of the film.

The film includes controversial scenes, including those that depict Trump violently raping his first wife, Ivana, abusing amphetamines to lose weight, and undergoing liposuction and plastic surgery to remove a bald spot. The rape scene was based on divorce records. In a deposition under oath, rendered during their divorce proceedings, Ivana accused Donald of rape and of pulling out her hair by the handful when his plastic surgery to alter his hairline failed. In 2015 Ivana Trump issued a statement clarifying earlier allegations made during her 1989 divorce proceedings. 

She claimed that her use of the term "rape" was not meant in a literal or criminal sense and was made during a time of high emotion, stating "Donald and I are the best of friends, and together we have raised three children that we love and are very proud of. I have nothing but fondness for Donald, and I wish him the best of luck on his campaign. I have recently read some comments attributed to me from nearly 30 years ago at a time of very high tension during my divorce from Donald. The story is totally without merit. Donald and I are the best of friends and he would never rape me."

 Sherman cited the Trump biography Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J. Trump, by Harry Hurt, as the main source for Trump's use of amphetamines and said, "There’s been other reporting over the years that Trump, in the ’80s, took these pills that essentially are amphetamines, and they kind of give you manic energy...It’s always been one of the explanations for why he went on this deal-making binge...I felt it was one of the themes of the film—as Trump gains more power, he loses touch with his own humanity. I thought of the diet pills as him trying to develop this superpower of never needing to sleep."

On May 20, 2024, Variety reported that Steven Cheung, the communications director of Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, threatened legal action over the film. On May 24, Variety reported that Trump's attorneys sent a cease-and-desist letter to the filmmakers, seeking to block "all marketing, distribution, and publication of the Movie." The film's producers responded to the letter by issuing a statement saying, "The film is a fair and balanced portrait of the former president. We want everyone to see it and then decide."

Subsequent to this, Abbasi offered to screen the film for Trump, believing that he might approve of its depiction of him. He also said that realistic films need to be produced about the threat of fascism.

In September 2024, Dan Snyder and his production company Kinematics sold its stake in the film, citing creative differences. Snyder was reportedly motivated to depart because of the film's unflattering and controversial portrayal of the central figure. The stake was acquired by James Shani and his production company Rich Spirit, which was already involved in the film with an original investment of $500,000.

Here's one of theNumerous Reviews that I can identify with

In the recent cinematic endeavor "The Apprentice," an intricate tapestry is woven—a narrative that seeks to dissect the evolution of Donald Trump from a seemingly inexperienced grifter into a formidable and mercurial figure of power. This journey is marked by his fateful meeting with Roy Cohn, depicted as a mentor skilled in the dark arts of manipulation and persuasion, a figure who lives by the credo that the truth is pliable, resilience means never admitting defeat, and morality is optional when success is the prize. The film captures the transformation of Trump with stark clarity, illustrating a metamorphosis driven by relentless ambition. Roy Cohn, with his storied career shadowed by a ruthless reputation, offers Trump the blueprint of power without conscience. Cohn emphasizes that perception outweighs reality, an ethos that Trump absorbs and revises into an art form. The narrative implies that through Cohn’s mentorship, Trump learns to manufacture his own truths and override conventional ethics. As the years pass, the film tracks a shift in Trump's allegiance and demeanor. Despite Roy Cohn's influence in his ascent, Trump begins to distance himself, a calculated maneuver that coincides with Cohn's descending health and dwindling political clout. This act of cold pragmatism is embodied in a poignant scene where Trump evicts Cohn’s son from his hotels and later dismissively overlooks Cohn himself during his illness. The personal dynamics portrayed, particularly with Marla, add layers to Trump's persona as someone who compartmentalizes relationships and sees them as transactions. His actions toward Marla—caring little for deep emotional connections—are illustrative of a man driven more by self-interest than sentiment. Roger Stone emerges as another intricate node in this network of influence, highlighting the political ecosystem that Trump navigates with deft cunning. The film suggests a continuous interplay of these powerful figures, each contributing to a narrative where betrayal seems endemic, and loyalty is contingent on utility. "The Apprentice" insists it is based on actual events, a claim that invites skepticism and introspection, not just about its subject but about the portrayal itself. It raises questions about the accuracy of these depictions and the implications of presenting conjecture as history. The film leaves the audience to ponder the ethical balance between depicting historical figures with dramatic embellishment and remaining tethered to reported reality. Ultimately, "The Apprentice" offers a critical reflection on power's seductive and corruptive nature, framing Trump as both a product and perpetuator of this cycle—a nuanced and entrenched narrative that provokes both fascination and unease.

Meanwhile, enjoy this photo of the Camelia Blooms in Our Courtyard;

Lastly, here's some THD News in case you have Not Heard.

THD had hired two women drivers replacing Joseph Woo. I met Liza the other day. Liza said she will be working part-time. Joseph is not coming back. He'd had some personal problems, I heard. He was an excellent driver, even if he does not smile at all! Good Luck Joseph in your future endeavors.  Your service to the THD community is much appreciated. 

I am looking for ward to meet the other driver- another experienced lady from what I heard. Nancy will be training both of them, I heard through the grapevine.  Our local transportation services is one of the Amenities why I decided to rent here at THD.