THE APPRENTICE
(15), 122mins
★★★★★
3
HE is one of the most divisive characters in the world, but how did Donald Trump become the man he is today?
It would seem he copied it from someone else. That someone was lawyer Roy Cohn.
One dark night in the late 1970s a young, naive wannabe businessman, Trump (Sebastian Stan), meets Cohn (Jeremy Strong) in an underground nightclub full of the top movers and shakers in New York.
Trump is entranced by Cohn, with his cold stare, flat tone and relentless cut-throat ambition. He wants to be just like him.
He soon asks for guidance from the top lawyer on some legal issues his dad’s business is having with the government. They don’t like the way Trump senior is overtly racist by not renting to black people.
He also wants to get some building projects off the ground, including his radical super-skyscraper, Trump Towers. Cohn negotiates for him on both — and wins.
Most think Trump is a bad joke in an even worse suit, but Cohn sees the potential in him, taking him under his wing.
He teaches him the tricks of the trade, which involves a lot of bribery and blackmail.
As Trump’s success rises to meteoric heights, so does his ego.
He stops at nothing to get what he wants.
That includes his first wife, Ivana (Maria Bakalova) who he woos with expensive gifts and luxury holidays.
You watch as she goes from admiring him to despising him.
But director Ali Abbasi and writer Gary Sherman are careful not to just paint Trump and Cohn as unrelenting bullies.
They’re far more human than that and cliché tropes are avoided.
While they are, undoubtedly, monsters in their own field, they also have to deal with real life: a sudden death in the family and terminal illness.
Trump shows himself to be the more emotionally stunted of the two, with even Cohn — who is close to the devil himself — being shocked by his lack of empathy.
The cinematography is spectacular, with incredible 70s and 80s detail — it often feels like watching a grainy documentary.
Trump morphs into the hairspray-loving, perma-orange glow of the man he is today.
The Apprentice is a masterclass in storytelling, with both Stan and Strong giving the performances of their career.
Watch and learn.
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SMILE 2
(18) 127mins
★★★☆☆
3
POP sensation Skye Riley is preparing for her world tour, but she begins experiencing terrifying paranormal events.
Overwhelmed, Skye (Naomi Scott) must confront her painful past as she sinks into a darkness that threatens to consume her.
Smile 2 cranks up the horror dial with even more blood, guts and jump scares than the first one from 2022.
Director Parker Finn pulls no punches in this nightmare-fuelled sequel, taking us on a ride that’s even more intense and disturbing.
Scott ditches her Disney roots for a wild, hair-raising perform-ance – think Taylor Swift on acid.
She spirals into madness as she encounters some seriously freaky supernatural forces.
But the film feels at times a bit too showy, with tricks and tech-niques borrowed from far superior horror offerings – the repeated upside down camera shots are lifted straight out of 2019’s Mid-sommar.
Besides Scott, there are decent performances from Lukas Gage as drug dealer Lewis and a hugely impressive turn from Ray Nicholson – son of Jack – as Skye’s former boyfriend Paul.
This is a perfectly serviceable sequel, but it’s just nothing special.
THE WILD ROBOT
(U) 102mins
★★★★★
3
FILMMAKER, voice actor and animator Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch, The Call Of The Wild) returns with this exciting adventure from the DreamWorks studios.
Adapted from Peter Brown’s novel of the same name, The Wild Robot features a star-studded voice cast including Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Bill Nighy and Heartstopper’s Kit Connor.
The story follows Roz (Nyong’o), a robot stranded on a deserted island who accidentally causes the demise of a family of geese.
So she adopts the sole surviving gosling, Brightbill (Connor).
With the help of cunning fox Fink (Pascal), Roz must navigate the challenges of the wild and protect her new charge from dangers.
Sanders knocks it out of the park with a thrilling and heartwarming adaptation that’s packed with action and laughs.
The movie tackles big themes like family and identity, and delivers stunning visuals and sharp storytelling.
Nyong’o shines as Roz, while Pascal’s sly take on Fink adds plenty of charm and humour. Connor as Brightbill delivers heart and a whole load of teenage angst.
It’s emotional and exciting – and it’s impossible not to fall in love with its positive outlook.