The story of one man’s rise to power moves swiftly in The Apprentice. Directed by Ali Abbasi, the early days of Donald Trump are looped in with political factors as well as greed on the road to success. The movie is filled with over-the-top humor and egotistical tones which drive home the idea of someone who wants to be more than what they are worth The Apprentice does not highlight the presidential days of Trump but highlights the era when he was creating businesses and buying buildings. The strategies he employed to navigate systems and rotate the cards is what The Apprentice is all about.

Sebastian Stan plays Donald Trump in the days when Trump was discovering the building blocks for his own success. With a family to support him and high aspirations, Stan does an excellent job portraying the egotistical attitude Trump displayed to boost his own worth above those around him. Trump has housing and real estate plans that he wants to move forward with, but many of them are complicated due to taxes, licensing, and other issues. Playing by the rules and obeying the letter of the law do not come easy to Trump. He hires Roy Cohn (played by Jeremy Strong), and from that point on, the era of Trump’s ability to make money by pursuing many different avenues turns into his hallmark.

The film is funny while also maintaining a serious vibe. With Strong in the role as Cohn, he presents an attitude that is never willing to accept defeat. He also rides all the political tides and finds tactical ways to get around obstacles and the law. The box of tricks he teaches Trump creates the pinnacle of an ego that will always find a way to rise to the occasion. With many events in the film being based on true stories, some viewers may find The Apprentice appealing and some may despise it. The main political parts, however, are focused on Trump’s early days inbusiness and the development of his properties. The film also delves into his relationship with Cohn and their shared determination to win at any cost. Both Stan and Strong give believable performances of men striving to the point of no sacrifice.

Trump’s backstory is a bit rushed, especially when it involves moments which include scenes with Ivana Trump (played by Maria Bakalova). The scenes in The Apprentice showing Trump wanting to grow faster, richer, and even feel more powerful are done masterfully. He is clearly one-of-a-kind. Although, his ultimate rise to the presidency is not covered in the film, the foundation for what lies ahead is put in place. Stan shines as Trump and Strong shines as Cohn. Their egos cause them to battle, but The Apprentice also relays back to Trump battling himself and his merits when he is dealing with more than he can handle. The Apprentice gets ugly and may receive all kinds of mixed reactions due to the mind-boggling details of what happened in Trump’s early days. Three-and-a-half stars.