Review of The Founder (2016) by Alex G — 25 Aug 2017

Want to see a real American film that does not involve guns or soldiers? Well, this is the one. Do not worry, The Founder still includes all the money talk, the gaining of territory and of course, a lot of backstabbing. The Founder is the perfect American family film, and your chance to learn the story of the man that founded the biggest fast food restaurant chain in the world, McDonald's.

The storyline begins with the McDonald's brothers (Nick Offerman and John Caroll Lynch) and their successful, calculated, family fast food restaurant in San Bernardino, California. They like to maintain the highest standards for themselves and their customers. However, when Ray Kroc, an unsuccessful traveling salesman, goes to San Bernardino to sell the brothers a couple of milkshake mixers, he looks at McDonald's and realizes the countless possibilities that stand in front of him. Franchising, he thinks.

The film could not have been the same without the brilliant performance of Michael Keaton as the greedy and persisting Ray Kroc. With an engrossing screenplay, Keaton begins playing the part of a common middle-class man that wants nothing but the best for him and his wife, who changes into a power-hungry man who's willing to step on anyone to get ahead. It is a great feat to change the audience along with a character, going from rooting for a character to being utterly disappointed in them.

The Founder is near perfect with its only flaw being the sympathetic tone the film takes towards capitalism and the huge restaurant chain, at times feeling like a two-hour McDonald's commercial. However, this turns to be necessary for the story, and for Kroc's charismatic character, hiding his villain status beneath that hard working middle-class dreamer. In the end, The Founder is nothing more than a typical film depicting the vices of power-hungry business men, only fresh by Michael Keaton's stunning performance.