As we inch ever closer to the epochal US presidential election along comes The Apprentice to offer some insights into the rise and character of Donald Trump, the New York real estate mogul who again wants to rule the White House, having done so from 2016 to 2020.
Look folks, this is an obviously biased biopic that ultimately paints an unflattering portrait of the man who wants a second term as president. So, if you happen to be a diehard Trump devotee – and Australia has a lot of them – you might want to save yourself the anguish.
That said, the movie is actually very entertaining, despite the liberties the filmmakers have taken with the truth.
There’s a top performance by Sebastian Stan as the young Trump, capturing his mannerisms, egocentric world view and eccentric conversational style as we watch him go from visionary young real estate developer to brutish businessman and husband.
Opposite him is a great turn by Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn, Trump’s advisor and friend who ends up suffering a great deal because of their association.
The Apprentice works quite well as a loose biopic, but as nasty as it gets about Trump it’s highly unlikely to have any measurable impact on the election result. Think of it as an enjoyable diversion before the big day.
One of the great ironies of modern film history is how actor Christopher Reeve went from playing Superman to becoming something of a superhero in real-life after being paralysed by a horse-riding accident.
Sad and uplifting in equal measure, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story gives a full, sometimes critical account of Reeve’s journey from being a no-name actor to achieving a level of fame he had difficulty dealing with.
Covering everything from his friendship with comedian Robin Williams, his women, his string of flop, non-Superman movies to his accident and new career as a disability rights advocate (which rubbed some people the wrong way), this is a moving, positive bio-doc that is bound to make your eyes mist up.
Just a quick note here about Runt, the charming Australian family film that has managed to ring up an impressive $4.2 million at the box office in the face of mega-sized school-holiday competition from Hollywood fare such as The Wild Robot, Transformers One and Harold and the Purple Crayon.
In an exceptionally bad year for local movies, the feisty little film about farm girl Annie (Lily LaTorre) who raises a stray mutt and trains it for dog shows has managed to grow its audience since being released on 19 September, which goes against the usual pattern. Well done, Runt.
Not so well done is Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to the surprise 2019 hit that has quickly become one of the most reviled films in modern memory.
With Joaquin Phoenix reprising his Oscar-winning role as Joker and Lady Gaga stepping into the shoes of Harleen Quinzel (aka Harley Quinn), the film is a musical drama about their budding romance as Joker faces trial over whether he is an evil villain or just a misunderstood guy with a mental illness.
Given how poorly the film has done at the global multiplex – with people from all corners of the world venting their rage online – it might be a better bet to wait for Joker 2 to hit the stream.
Then again, the vitriol blasted at this film for betraying the promise of the first one and disrespecting fans might well endow Joker 2 with curiosity value as people wonder “Can it really be that bad?”.
Well, though the look of the first film has been duly replicated, the story is thin, the musical numbers are long and largely unnecessary while the ending has drawn the most savage reactions of all.
So, go along if you happen to be in a particularly perverse state of mind that compels you to watch a $200 million movie continually misfire for 140 long minutes.
Big on Prime right now is Killer Heat, a pretty standard, old-fashioned crime drama about a private investigator (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who is called in by a wealthy widow (Shailene Woodley) to uncover the truth behind the death of her husband, who fell during a stint of rock climbing.
But why bother recommending this strictly adequate, by-the-numbers private detective yarn?
Because it’s the cheapest way to enjoy the scenic beauty of the Greek islands, all sun-drenched and gleaming, surrounded by glistening waters and populated by authentic Greek people who drink shots of ouzo while merrily playing on their bouzoukis.
A perfectly pleasant way to spend 97 minutes. And the story isn’t half bad.
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