The Apprentice

2024 Briarcliff Entertainment

Rated: R

Length: 2 hrs

Biography ~ Drama ~ True Story

Starring: Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, Martin Donovan and Maria Bakalova.

An American Horror Story

The Apprentice tells the story of a young Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) as he begins to forge his path in the cutthroat world of New York City real estate during the 1970s and 1980s. At the heart of the story is Trump’s relationship with his mentor, the infamous and ruthless attorney Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), who guides him in the art of manipulation, media control, and power plays. The film opens with Trump learning the ropes from Cohn, including his harsh lessons on always attacking, never admitting fault, and insisting on victory no matter the circumstances.

As the story moves forward, it depicts the transformation of Trump from an ambitious, somewhat naïve young businessman into a colder and more calculating figure, influenced heavily by Cohn’s tough, unscrupulous style. Trump’s business ventures, including his attempts to develop iconic properties such as the Trump Taj Mahal, along with his complicated family dynamics, particularly with his father Fred (Martin Donovan) and first wife Ivana (Maria Bakalova), feature prominently. The film explores the darker, more controversial aspects of Trump’s rise, including personal betrayals and legal controversies, painting a complex picture of ambition and ruthlessness.

In the latter part of the film, the relationship between Trump and Cohn deteriorates as Trump outgrows his mentor’s influence and embraces a persona marked by hubris and ruthless ambition. Cohn’s battle with AIDS and his eventual decline provide a stark contrast to Trump’s ascent, highlighting themes of power, loyalty, and the cost of success. The Apprentice offers a provocative glimpse into the making of a man who would later become one of the most polarizing figures in American politics, with strong performances creating an intense, character-driven drama.

In the beginning I felt myself drawn into Donald Trump’s desire to be successful, and I felt for the character on the screen. I almost felt sorry for him as I could feel his desire to be successful and help his family. Watching him fall for Ivana and chase her down with his heart in his hands was swaying my feelings for the man that is now President. But somewhere in the middle of the movie, things started to change. It got dark, very dark. Power, lust and the desire to be successful at any cost bore the markings of pure evil. Donald took Roy Cohn’s words and three rules to heart, and ultimately betrayed Roy’s friendship and trust with his own words.

It was obviously written and filmed to offer a distinct vision of Donald Trump and his rise to power. At the same time it offers a glimpse into the road that got him where he is today. All I can say about this is that it is a fascinating look at that journey. Whether fact or fiction, or a combination of the two, it is a story that starts out innocently enough and then takes a very dark turn into An American Horror Story.

Definitely worth a watch………

King Richard

2021 Warner Bros. Pictures

Rated: PG-13

Length: 2 hr 24min

Biography ~ Drama ~ Sports ~ True Story

Directed by: Reinaldo Marcus Green

Starring: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Tony Goldwyn, and Jon Bernthal.

Venus, Serena and a plan for greatness.

King Richard tells the inspiring true story of Richard Williams (Will Smith), a determined father living in Compton, California, who dreams of making his daughters Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena Williams (Demi Singleton) tennis superstars. Richard has a detailed 78-page plan for their success he wrote before they were born. He and his wife Brandy (Aunjanue Ellis), who works as a nurse, coach the girls tirelessly while juggling their full-time jobs. Richard works hard to find a professional coach for them, facing numerous rejections from the tennis community skeptical of the family’s background and financial situation.

Eventually, Richard finds coach Paul Cohen (Tony Goldwyn), who agrees to train Venus but not Serena due to costs. As Venus begins to compete and succeed in junior tournaments, Serena secretly enters as well and also impresses. The family faces racism and exclusion in the predominantly white, upper-class sport. When offers from agents come in, Richard fears exploitation and pulls the girls out of the junior circuit, leading to tension with the coach and others who see this as risking their chances of turning pro.

Coach Rick Macci (Jon Bernthal) later takes the family under his wing, leading them to move to Florida for better training opportunities. Richard insists the girls focus on school and training, avoiding early exposure to the pressures of junior competition. Venus expresses her desire to turn pro, causing some family conflict, but Richard eventually supports her. Despite initial struggles, Venus achieves wins in pro matches and attracts attention from major sponsors, with Serena following close behind.

Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena Williams (Demi Singleton) revolutionized women’s tennis and had an enormous impact on the sports world at large. Their achievements include a combined 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, three Olympic golds together, and a legacy as one of tennis’s most dominant sibling duos. Venus reached No. 1 in the WTA rankings in 2002, becoming the first Black player to do so, while Serena has held the No. 1 spot for a record 319 weeks, one of the longest reigns in history.

Serena boasts 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most in the Open Era, and Venus has won seven Grand Slam singles crowns, including five Wimbledons. Their fierce rivalry and partnership broke racial and gender barriers, inspiring countless athletes and transforming the visibility and commercial appeal of women’s tennis globally. Their success symbolizes empowerment, resilience, and excellence, forever altering perceptions of Black women in sport and elevating women’s sports to new heights of public attention and respect.

This is truly an amazing story and movie well acted by Will Smith and the rest of the cast. I have to say that I have had the opportunity to watch this in the past but bypassed it because of the infamous Oscar Slap. I was on my own little Will Smith boycott even though this movie came out before the infamous Oscar affair. When I saw it had just come back to Netflix I decided to give it a watch because of the True Story and Underdog aspect. Those are two of my favorites, the True Stories and The Underdogs who, seemingly against all odds, emerge victorious and come out on top.

Richard had a 78 page plan he wrote out for his two daughters before they were born, detailing every aspect of their lives. How they were going to achieve greatness as tennis players, how they were going to conduct themselves as human beings and he never let doubt or their seemingly insurmountable obstacles of environment, race and gender sway their belief for a second. Even when he battled the violence of the local gangs that threatened his life. Even when everybody told him it couldn’t be done.

Richard Williams, through sheer perseverance, unwavering belief and steadfast determination, raised his daughters to be successful sports prodigies that succeeded beyond anybody’s wildest imaginations, (But Richard’s) and changed the course of Women’s Sports and the world of Tennis forever. It is a testament to the Human spirit and a Prime example of believing in your dreams and willing them into fruition. This is a good one and you should watch it even if, like me, you were on your own Will Smith Boycott.

I saw a video where he was promoting this movie and talked about how he doesn’t make movies anymore to make money. His only objective is to make movies that help and inspire other human beings in some way, it was the reason he made this movie. I personally feel like that is such a wonderful and admirable way of giving back after all his success. After watching this movie and learning that about Will Smith, I have decided to put aside my temporary boycott due to the Oscars fiasco. We all have our moments that we are not proud of, where life forced us to be shown at our worst. Time to let go, live and let live.

Do yourself an inspirational favor and watch this movie, and remember the Will Smith who makes movies like these to inspire and lift us all up………..

A Complete Unknown

2024 Searchlight Pictures

Rated: R

Length: 2 hr 21min

Biography ~ Drama ~ Music

Directed by: James Mangold

Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook, Dan Fogler, Norbert Leo Butz, Eriko Hatsune, Big Bill Morganfield, Will Harrison, and Scoot McNairy.

The Ballad Of A True Original

In 1961 a 19 year old from Minnesota named Robert Zimmerman (Timothée Chalamet) hitchhikes his way to New York City with his acoustic guitar and a backpack. His musical Idol Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy) is slowly dying of Huntington’s disease and he wants to meet him before he dies. When he arrives in Greenwich Village he finds out which hospital Woody is staying in and heads there with his guitar and backpack. Walking down the hospital hallway he hears another of his idols Pete Seeger (Edward Norton) singing and Robert walks into the room.

He introduces himself as Bob Dylan and tells them he is a big fan of their music. He wrote a song for Woody and asks them if he can play it for them. After he is finished playing the song, both Pete and Woody express their approval of the song he wrote. Pete is so impressed he invites the young Bob Dylan back to his family home where he stays for a couple of days. Pete takes Bob under his wing and shows him off at a popular Open Mic Folk Club in Greenwich Village. Joan Baez is there and performs before he does. Bob is immediately a hit and record execs soon sign Bob to a record deal.

A Complete Unknown chronicles the time of Bob Dylan’s rise to stardom from his arrival in Greenwich Village in 1961 to the infamous moment at the Newport folk Festival in 1965 when Bob Dylan went electric. Completely immersed in the folk music scene at that time, the songs were all acoustic and the songs were mainly old folk songs or social justice songs penned for the times. Bob soon grew tired of the music and strict formalities of the folk genre that made him a star. He aspired to take his music in a different direction and at the Newport Folk Festival (an all acoustic Folk music event) he debuted music from his upcoming release Highway 61 Revisited with a full electric band.

The Movie is based on the 2016 Book Dylan Goes Electric! by Elijah Wild. It was a pivotal moment in music history and an amazing story of how a 19 year old kid from Minnesota got swept up in the folk music scene in New York City and then blew it apart from the inside out and made music history. Timothée Chalamet did an outstanding job of portraying the young Bob Dylan becoming an Icon. Edward Norton as Pete Seeger was a surprise, a different role for him but a pleasant surprise nonetheless. I loved Elle Fanning in this portraying Bob’s girlfriend Sylvie. Nice Job! You felt as though you were right there every step of the way on Bob’s journey.

Arriving in Greenwich Village with nothing, getting swept up in the music industry, quickly becoming a Legend and a Musical Icon. Having a professional and personal very tumultuous relationship with Joan Baez, and becoming a pen pal with Johnny Cash! It is quite the story and it is quite the movie. I am not a diehard Bob Dylan fan although I do like his music, but I enjoyed the movie immensely and it gave me new found respect for the man and his music. I highly Recommend watching A Complete Unknown, even if he is Completely Unknown to you. It’s a good ride and at 2 hours and 21 minutes it seemed to be a quick one. I’ll be watching this one again.

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO RENT ON AMAZON PRIME

Love & Mercy

2015 Lionsgate

Rated: PG-13

Length: 2 hr

Biography ~ Drama ~ Music ~ Romance ~ True Story

Directed by: Bill Pohlad

Starring: Paul Dano, John Cusack, Elizabeth Banks, Melinda Ledbetter and Paul Giamatti.

The Life, Love and Genius of Brian Wilson.

SYNOPSIS(From the Official Website):

Love & Mercy presents an unconventional portrait of Brian Wilson, the mercurial singer, songwriter and leader of The Beach Boys. Set against the era-defining catalog of Wilson’s music, the film intimately examines the personal voyage and ultimate salvation of the icon whose success came at extraordinary personal cost.

INTERESTING FACTS:

Brian Wilson thought the movie was very factual and that each character was cast so well that he “actually believed those characters were really who they were, like Paul Giamatti as Doctor Landry was so right on that it actually scared me.“
Paul Giamatti extensively researched Doctor Landy for his role:

“I played Dr. Landy, the crazy psychotherapist. It’s a great character. Brian Wilson had a severe freak-out and his family got in touch with a psychotherapist out in L.A. named Eugene Landy who took over. That’s where most of the story comes from, because the doctor was basically insane. He made Brian play in a sandbox, I mean crazy stuff.” Giamatti prepared for the role by engrossing himself in contemporary articles, meeting the real life Landy’s early career acquaintances, and listening to hours of tapes wherein Giamatti says “he’d just keep talking and talking, in these completely huge paragraphs. They were brilliant-sounding, but if you dug into them they didn’t make much sense.

John Cusack spent time with Brian and Melinda in their home in Beverly Hills, and dived into The Beach boy’s catalogue of music in prepping for his role. From The LA Times Article by Randy Lewis – April 4, 2015:

Cusack’s performance as latter-day Wilson has been drawing praise from those closest to the musician, not only for the way he’s picked up on Wilson’s tics and speech patterns but for the underlying sweetness of his personality. His portrayal of Brian has drawn praise from Melinda who said of Cusack’s performance: “He’s amazing,” said Melinda Wilson. “I don’t know how he did it — he just morphed himself into Brian.”

Paul Dano completely immersed himself into Brian’s life, career and music learning as much as he could. He learned to play the piano and learned to sing Brian’s Beach Boy parts for the film. His voice was mixed with Brian’s in scenes of the movie. Paul gained 35 pounds by consuming 4200 calories a day to portray Brian at the time he had gained so much weight.

MY THOUGHTS:

I have seen this movie countless times and watched it again last night. It is one of my favorite movies. I added the ROMANCE category because I feel like it is a great Romance and Love story between Brian Wilson and Melinda Ledbetter. I think that is one of my favorite parts of the movie, how they met and fell in love amidst the chaos of Brian’s relationship and treatment with Dr. Landy. I love the scene in the dealership when they first met, in the Cadillac and Brian locks the doors and leaves her a note. I just love that. I really like Elizabeth Banks as Melinda Ledbetter, I am a huge fan of hers but there is something special about her portrayal of Melinda in this movie.

John Cusack and Paul Dano were both excellent as the differently aged Brian’s. I love both of their performances in this. The studio musicians portrayed in the movie were actual musicians hired to play the parts in the studio scenes. I thought they did a great job of portraying The Wrecking Crew. They were the actual group of studio musicians that Brian, The Beach Boys and so many artists of the 60’s and 70’s used on their recordings. The Wrecking Crew is a great Documentary about them currently streaming on Amazon. I love how they recreated the studio scenes down to the instruments and the equipment.

I grew up on The Beach Boys’ music and am a fan but watching this movie always gives me a deeper respect for their music and lives. Seeing Brian Wilson’s genius behind the scenes of the band is an incredible insight. I am always amazed and horrified by their relationship with their father. The audacity of Brian’s father informing him that “he sold the rights to ALL THEIR MUSIC for $750,000 because in five years time it wasn’t going to be worth anything.” is mind blowing and numbing at the same time. How is it that a father has nothing but disdain and animosity instead of unconditional love for his children? Watching the scenes between Brian and his Father is heartbreaking to say the least.

If you haven’t seen it you should watch it, If you have seen it….watch it again. It is worth it, it is a great story, a true story, a love story and a very insightful look into one of the most influential bands, Musician(s) and songwriters of modern American Music.

STREAMING ON AMAZON PRIME

The Founder

2016 The Weinstein Company

Rated: PG-13

Length: 1 hr 55min

Biography ~ Drama ~ History ~ True Story

Directed by: John Lee Hancock

Starring: Michael Keaton, Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch, Linda Cardellin, Laura Dern, and B. J. Novak .

“Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not, Genius will not, Education will not. Persistence and Determination alone will always solve the problems of the human race.”

Michael Keaton stars as Ray Kroc, a traveling salesman in the Midwest selling milkshake mixers to restaurants. Ray is 52 years old and has been struggling to make ends meet, not having much success with the items he has sold in the past. His office lets him know that a restaurant in California has placed an order for six Milkshake mixing machines. Confident that there must be a mistake, he calls the restaurant and is promptly told by the owner, Dick McDonald (Nick Offerman) that indeed it is not a mistake and that he should up the order to eight machines…..and hurry. Ray decides that he has to see for himself and drives to San Bernardino, California.

Upon arriving in the McDonald’s Brothers Restaurant he is amazed by what he sees. After purchasing a Burger, fries and a drink for 35 cents and receiving it immediately, he is astonished. Mac McDonald (John Carroll Lynch) offers him a tour of the kitchen where he shows Ray their “Speedee Service System”. Completely blown away by what they have invented and their restaurant, Ray takes them to dinner to pick their brains about their operation. Over the coming weeks Ray is so obsessed with the McDonald’s business he convinces them to franchise and to let him do all the work. They draw up a contract and from that day forward Ray Kroc does everything in his power to build a franchise empire of McDonald’s Restaurants as fast as he can.

In the process he goes from selling franchises to buying the land the restaurants sit on and then leasing that land to the franchisees. Eventually buying out the McDonald Brothers, and turning it into an 8 Billion dollar business with 7,500 stores in 32 countries around the world at the time of Ray’s Death in 1984. He is quoted as saying that that first day when he saw the San Bernardino store for the first time and saw the operation, the Golden Arches and the name McDonalds,” I knew I had to have it. It was a great business and the Speedee service was incredible, but the name and those arches were what I saw. That was the valuable thing. It was as American as Apple Pie and I envisioned one in every town. Every town has a courthouse with an American flag and a Church with a cross, and there should be a McDonalds in every town.”

It is a fascinating look at the True Story of McDonalds, The McDonald Brothers and Ray Kroc the visionary who saw much more than just a restaurant. The Screenplay was based on the 1977 Autobiography by Ray Kroc Grinding It Out: The Making Of McDonald’s. Of course it is a little sad how Ray basically stole the business out from underneath them. He was a very persistent determined man who saw a vision and pursued it no matter what. Michael Keaton did an awesome job in this as Ray Kroc, Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch also as The McDonald Brothers. I have seen this quite a few times and still enjoy it. I love Entrepreneurship and the process of starting with nothing and building something out of a single idea. It is truly a fascinating true story movie.