The Founder

Really don't even know how to review this movie. Acting was superb, but content makes me sick. I give this a 1 on storyline alone. Ray Kroc was a scumbag of the highest order, in a class all his own. My heart breaks for the McDonald Brothers who were steamrolled, manipulated, and who had their livelihood utterly destroyed by this cunning, ruthless, and I'm convinced, sociopathic man. Especially with the notes at the end how they never received one dime in royalties. This story will really make you hate McDonald's.

Biographical dramas tell stories about significant people in history but they are always much more than that. The person chosen for the bio-pic reflects something about the values of the era and the society from which they came. In this sense, The Founder (2016) goes well beyond the story of a global hamburger empire to the values that made McDonald's possible and it does not paint a pretty picture. The mantra "persistence is everything" is heard at the beginning and the end of this film but when decoded it means persistent treachery, greed, and a code of ethics toxic enough to remove some gloss from the world's most recognised golden arches.

The real founders are brothers Maurice (John Lynch) and Richard McDonald (Nick Offerman) who pioneered the idea of standardised burgers made quickly that led to the modern fast-food industry. Into their lives came Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton), a struggling milkshake-mixer salesman who is amazed at the queues of people lined up for burgers and fries. The brothers trust Ray, tell him their secrets, and in 1954 Ray becomes the franchise manager responsible for setting up new stores. Driven by insatiable greed, Ray wants to go national but the brothers fear loss of quality control. When Ray realises that owning the property on which stores operate gives him complete control of the business, his takeover plans are rolled into place.

The storyline follows the facts of history but it is the film's characterisations that are its real achievement. Perhaps best known for his extraordinary performance in Birdman (2014) Michael Keaton is in a class of his own when it comes to portraying deeply flawed people living on the edge of sanity or evil. From the opening scenes his eyes express callous disregard for others, and at one point he boasts that if a competitor was drowning he would not hesitate to put a running hose deep down the victim's throat. His flawed humanity is contrasted by the authenticity and honesty represented by the brothers. Excellent casting, directing and period sets make this a thoroughly engaging story.

This film also arrives with remarkable timing given the current global spotlight on the home of capitalism. Millions of McDonald's fans are regularly processed by one of the most sophisticated marketing machines on the planet. Seeing The Founder is a bit like finding out that Santa Claus is Satan in disguise. Good cinema not only entertains: it shows the world as it is, not as we believe it should be. The Founder tells a story that should be told, and it does it brilliantly.

A competently crafted, steadily paced & extensively researched biographical drama that's further uplifted by Michael Keaton's fantastic performance, The Founder covers the rags to riches tale of an ambitious salesman who sensed & tapped the potential of a small fast-food diner in California and turned it into one of the largest & most successful restaurant chains in the world with a bit of hustle, persistence & ruthlessness.

Set in the 1950s, The Founder tells the story of Ray Kroc, a travelling salesman who comes across a small diner operated by two McDonald brothers in San Bernardino, California and is left dazzled by their lightning-fast service, high-quality food & strong work ethic. Wanting to be a part of their business, he joins them as their franchising agent to expand the fast-food chain all over America, and ultimately buys the company from the brothers.

Directed by John Lee Hancock, The Founder is as much about the cut-throat world of business as it is about the rise of McDonald's, and is told in an intuitive manner that keeps the interest alive at all times. Hancock handles the subject matter with restraint, maintains a firm grip over all aspects, and never deviates from the main premise. Also, the momentum is never lost as it moves from the discovery, creation, operation & expansion of McDonald's to the ultimate swindling.

The old style McDonald's restaurants depicted in the film are in tune with the timeline this film is set in and the vast countryside shooting locations help in further evoking its 1950s era. The sharp focus & still handling of camera, in addition to its warm colour palette, helps in providing a homely texture to its images. Editing keeps the pace steady and provides a tight & gripping structure to its plot while Carter Burwell's score is ever present in the background and silently performs its duties.

Coming to the performances, The Founder features a talented cast in Michael Keaton, John Carroll Lynch, Nick Offerman, Linda Cardellini, Patrick Wilson, B.J. Novak & Laura Dern. Leading from the front is Keaton who delivers another strong performance in what's the second coming of his acting career as he brings Kroc to life with flair, passion & panache. Lynch & Offerman are in as McDonald brothers and play their part convincingly, plus the moments between them & Kroc is as amusing as it is riveting.

On an overall scale, The Founder is a carefully investigated & smartly scripted biopic that's just as informative as it is entertaining and wonderfully illustrates the rise of the man who dared to dream bigger and single-handedly turned a small fast-food restaurant into a billion-dollar conglomerate with his aggressive business practices. It's also commendable for keeping Kroc's personal life out of the main narrative, something most Hollywood biopics are guilty of. A mostly satisfying journey, this story of McDonald's made me go "I'm Lovin' It" more than once over the course of its runtime, and is definitely worth a shot.

The Founder is a fascinating and frustrating story about a man (and a restaurant chain) that you simultaneously respect and dislike. Michael Keaton becomes Ray Kroc, and this film makes you realize how revolutionary the concept of McDonald's really was. It may have made my wife want to boycott the Golden Arches for a while, but it's still a well-made movie.

For many the thought nowadays of takeaway food is but a convenience we all enjoy (some more than others) but at one stage during human history the very idea of having your burger, fries and ice-cold Coke ready in mere seconds was a novelty that began sweeping the nation of America before taking over the world as we now know it today.

A staple for over 60 years, McDonalds restaurants are a mainstay of everyday life, a reliable source of cheeseburger delicacies, crispy French fries and refreshing beverages that continue to supply the goods to those both young and those young at heart. When consuming McDonalds however, its unlikely many of us have ever truly considered where this establishment was born from and thankfully for all us, the story is a real doozy.

It's often the case these days that high profile, well-marketed biopics are reliable as a Big Mac (you always know what you're going to get) but John Lee Hancock's film is imbedded with both an energy and pace that elevates it above the usual bio-fair and with another awards worthy turn from Michael Keaton as its centrepiece, this enthralling slice of history is a fabulously entertaining ride tinged in nostalgic 1950's vibes and garnished with a quick- smart script from The Wrestler screenwriter Robert D. Siegel.

Capturing the time, place and allurement of this mankind changing business model, The Founder does a great job of transporting us back in time as we ride alongside struggling salesman Ray Kroc, whose eyes are opened when he comes across the McDonald brothers, whose business model of "fast food" finally gives Ray the chance his so longed for all his life, to make a buck and then some.

Keaton's performance as Kroc is quite the feat. His a genuinely cold and calculated character but as the film begins we are happy to see him put in the hard yards as his franchise model of stores takes off but as the brand grows so does Kroc's ego and Keaton's performance morphs naturally as it does in fascinating and unexpected ways.

Come the films later stages, the real feat of Keaton's turn comes into the spotlight and what we're left with is a layered character brought to life by the performer, whether it's in comical situations or brutally raw moments shared with lawyers, Keaton is on fire here and while his ably supported by the likes of Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch as the unfortunate McDonald brothers Dick and Mac, The Founder is founded off the back of Keaton's turn and whilst unlikely that this film will find itself in to many awards categories, Keaton is looming as a key player in the upcoming awards season.

The Founder is one of those rare biopics that grabs you from the get-go and doesn't let up.

A well shot, scored and acted studio film that tells a story worth telling (plus one of the best advertisements McDonald's has never paid for), The Founder offers a fascinating insight into the beginnings of the McDonald's brand that also gives us an equally fascinating real life figure and another chance for the career revival of Michael Keaton to continue on its merry way.

4 milkshake sachets out of 5