30/33
The story of how a young Donald Trump started his real estate business in 1970s and 80s New York with the helping hand of infamous lawyer Roy Cohn. Roger Stone, a longtime associate of Donald Trump and Roy M. Cohn, agreed that Jeremy Strong’s portrayal of Cohn was “amazing in its accuracy.” [from the trailer] Roy Cohn: The third rule: no matter what happens, claim victory and never admit defeat. Featured on The 7PM Project: Episode 11 October 2024 (2024). Anti Anti AntiPerformed by ConsumersLicensed by Domino Publishing Company Limited (PRS) obo In The Red RecordingsWritten by Paul B. Cutler Published by BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited.. Greetings again from the dark. Many questions remain unanswered, but one thing is clear … Donald Trump is not 'born' this way. Ali Abbasi directs a script by journalist Gabriel Sherman (Vanity Fair, New York Magazine) that aims to explain the background of the man who will become president. The film’s two separate parts are split between the 1970s and then the 1980s, and this first part is infinitely more interesting and better presented. Sebastian Stan is best known as Bucky Barnes in the Marvel Universe, but here he captures an essence of Donald Trump that many don’t recognize. In the 1970s, Donald was vice president of his father’s real estate development company, and his big dreams were constantly crushed either by a domineering father or a system that left no room for vision. This was a young (in his 20s) Trump who was told he resembled matinee idol Robert Redford and that he was a fool for trying to save Manhattan from the wreckage of decay it had become. In fact, Trump deserves a lot of credit for at least dreaming of a recovery from a city on the brink of bankruptcy. Donald’s life (and the movie) goes into overdrive when ex-power attorney Roy Cohn (the remarkable Jeremy Strong, ") ;Succession") invites him to the dinner table. Cohn previously served as attorney for the infamous Senator Joseph McCarthy and lead prosecutor in the Julius and Ethel Rosenberg espionage trial. By 1970, Cohn was the ultimate fixer and one of the most powerful lawyers in the country. We watch as he mentors, trains and advises young buck Trump, instilling his three rules: 1. Attack. Attack. Attack. 2. Don’t concede anything. Deny all. 3. Claim victory, never admit defeat. These are the basics of the “art of the trade” and really beyond that…how to be a ruthless businessman and person. An awkward first meeting led to a mentorship that is truly fascinating to watch on screen. Cohn pushes the eager Trump to become the shark he needs, while his father Fred Trump (Martin Donovan) fights him every step of the way. Stan and Strong are mesmerizing in this first hour. Stan captures Trump’s familiar body language (shoulders slumped and hair pinned back), while Strong hypnotizes with a steely-eyed stare. Trump mingles with powerful men like Rupert Murdoch, George Steinbrenner, and even Andy Warhol (whom he unknowingly asks if he’s “successful”), then becomes attached to and eventually marries Ivana (the awesome Maria Bakalova). It is the pre-marriage scene where the film shifts. Fast-forward to the 1980s, and we find an arrogant Donald Trump, ignoring Cohn’s advice to slow down and reconsider the Atlantic City casino and hotel. Of course, time will prove Cohn right, but so far Trump isn’t listening to anyone. An unethical approach to business relationships and his flamboyant taste in everything is evident at this point – from furniture to cufflinks. His treatment of family also becomes apparent – not only with Ivana, but also with her brother Freddy (Charlie Carrick), whom the father calls “embarrassing”; family because he is a commercial airline pilot and not a greedy capitalist in a family business.