The team behind “The Apprentice” wants it both ways.
The film is a fair and balanced look at President Donald Trump that humanizes the real estate mogul. Oh, and it’s a supervillain origin story and you should vote accordingly.
Which is it?
Count Sebastian Stan as part of that mixed messaging machine.
This week, Stan promoted the film at the film’s BFI London Film Festival premiere. It’s already tanking stateside, and it’s unlikely the film’s UK release will change that pattern.
Stan plays a young Trump rising up through the real estate ranks in the late 1970s and ’80s. It’s a terrific performance that eschews the usual Trump tics for a physically transformative turn.
It’s still an unabashed hit piece on the former (future?) president.
The actor flashed his rage at Trump during the UK event, captured by the far-Left Hollywood Reporter:
“If you have any inkling of interest, go and really ask yourself: ‘Who is this man? Do you really know? Do you really trust this person to lead a country?’ He’s been trying to censor this movie, and at the same time, he claims that he acknowledges free speech … I can’t think of anything more hypocritical. So at the end of the day, it’s about him as a character. Forget the politics and just go in there and use your instinct and ask yourself: Do you trust this man? That’s what the movie is about.”
It’s saying the quiet part out loud and more.
The “more” is what matters.
The film features Stan’s Trump raping his then-wife Ivana Trump, played by Maria Bakalova of “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” fame. Ivana Trump brought up the allegation in court but later retracted the charge. She died in 2022.
That scene sent Team Trump into legal mode, although it’s unclear if he actually followed through with that threat. Plus, the film reached theaters last weekend after Briarcliff Entertainment took a chance on it.
Where’s the free speech impingement? Stan is on shaky ground, obviously. And it gets worse.
Has Stan spoken up about recent free speech battles? Consider:
Hillary Clinton threatening to arrest anyone pushing “misinformation”
Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz saying so-called “hate speech” isn’t covered by the First Amendment (It is)
Former Presidential candidate John Kerry demanding restrictions on the First Amendment
The Twitter Files
Team Biden leaning on social media giants to censor Americans
Sensitivity readers censoring classic works by Roald Dahl, Ian Fleming and Agatha Christie
That’s a partial list.
The First Amendment is under near-constant attack in 2024, but Stan doesn’t speak out against any of those threats. In his defense, nearly all of Celebrity Nation is quiet on these issues.
Instead, it’s all about Trump for Stan (and seeking positive publicity from the corrupt press).
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