Playing like a fiction film, THE APPRENTICE follows a year in the life of French high school student Mathieu. Samuel Collardey depicts the typical ups and downs of an adolescent boy, yet the first-time feature director masterfully avoids clichés in his treatment of Mathieu. As required by his studies, Mathieu apprentices at a small farm. His mentor, Paul, is a grizzled farmer who welcomes Mathieu into his family. While Paul is short on words, he is an effective instructor and teaches Mathieu how to run an organic farm and do things the traditional way. Mathieu is not the most compliant student though, as many of Paul’s teachings are at odds with the modern, more popular methods learned at the agricultural high school. THE APPRENTICE does not strictly follow a linear path, but Mathieu’s development is readily apparent. In addition to scenes on the farm, we watch Mathieu cavorting with his classmates in the dormitory and at the local bar, engaging in a flirtatious online chat, and arguing with his mom, who is rooting for him but cannot convey her concerns without annoying her son. When final exam time rolls around, Mathieu is anxious about his scores and wonders whether he will graduate with his classmates. Ultimately, whether he graduates or not is beside the point. The Haut-Doubs region near the French-Swiss border is portrayed in resplendent style. A native of this region, Collardey successfully captures its natural splendor and finds in Mathieu an endearing ambassador of the region.