Ali Abbasi does not spare Donald Trump in his description of The Apprenticediscovered in Cannes last May. It presents the former President of the United States as a complex young man who will find a formidable mentor in the person of Roy Cohn. The two roles allow Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong to deliver brilliant performances, worthy of being at the Oscars in 2026.
“We had to avoid their performances being living caricatures of Trump and Cohn,” Ali Abbasi explains to 20 Minutes. We worked a lot on the nuances so as not to fall into a satirical frenzy like a comedy show like Saturday Night Live. » This nuanced approach gives incredible strength to the film, the title of which refers to a famous television show in America. It was hosted by Donald Trump who gave job interviews to candidates whom he mistreated. The “You’re fired!” » (“You’re fired!”) which he said to the losers is iconic across the Atlantic.
A horror film for adults
The relationship between Donald Trump and his reactionary lawyer mentor, devoid of any scruples, is at the center of the story until the moment when the student surpasses the master. “It’s a bit like Frankenstein where the monster takes precedence over its creator who can no longer control his creation. », insists Ali Abbasi. It’s a real horror film for adults that the director of Nights of Mashhad. The spectator is stunned to witness the birth of a formidable politician whose destiny and the danger he will end up representing, unlike the characters, he knows.
His co-writer Gabriel Sherman was able to observe Donald Trump up close and meet him during the 2016 election campaign which he covered as a journalist. “With Gabe, we looked for what Trump and Cohn had in common,” insists the Iranian director. We came to the conclusion that it was the incessant quest for perfection. They have no sense of decency in this constant search because the line is fine between excessive perfectionism and total indecency. »
A scene from the film where Trump rapes his wife, played by Maria Bakalovais emblematic. “I don’t like to shoot or show this kind of sequence,” insists the filmmaker, “but it was essential to understand Trump’s need for absolute power and his relationship with women. He behaves like a sovereign who believes that everything belongs to him and cannot stand being resisted.” There is nothing gratuitous in this very difficult passage which sends shivers down the spine. The scene must have been painful to watch and it is.
An anthropological approach
For Ali Abassi, American voters already know who they are going to vote for and it is not a question of policy but of personality. “Few voters are interested in the proposed program,” he analyzes. What matters is the candidate himself and the desire to see him or not in the White House. » However, the filmmaker does not consider his film to be militant. “I am not American, I do not vote in the United States and I am not affiliated with any political party,” he insists. I am especially interested in the psychology of the character. »
Our American Presidential file
His bias is that of an observer witnessing a disaster that he cannot stop. “My angle is that of a European anthropologist trying to understand a complex political system,” he confides. However, I am aware that for Americans, this is, more than ever, a question of life and death. » His analysis of Donald Trump’s personality is as acute as what he shows in his film. “I think the biggest mistake is to consider him an idiot,” he comments. Donald Trump has a remarkable intuition about how the media works. He’s like a skilled actor who instinctively knows where the camera is without having to look at it. This gives him a unique advantage over his opponents. »
Before the election
Ali Abbasi dreams of seeing his film released in the United States between the presidential debates and election day. “I don’t believe that The Apprentice could influence voters in any way, he admits. Especially when it comes to Trump and this election in particular. This is the most important election I have ever experienced in my lifetime. And this for all of us. » Funny sometimes, often terrifying, his film sheds fascinating light on a man whose thirst for power can have a major influence on our world.