The Founder

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Anakin M Apr 20, 2019 Micheal Keaton is superb in the role and The Founder presents a fascinating look at an icon of American corporatism.

Poe W Apr 11, 2019 Shocked, I wasn't sure if I'd like this but the further i got into it the more I enjoyed it!

Abraham W Mar 31, 2019 I was watching The Founder, on Netflix. My impression: A compelling, partly inspiring exploration of personality, business, ambition and humility (or its denial). And culture. It's a truly wonderful docu-drama. The performances are stellar. The direction carries the objective with seemingly effortless ease: slow where it needs to be, fast where it has to rush, with cutting matched to the character and the state of mind the character is in. It's slow, a bit choppy, pointlessly harried and rushed when Ray Kroc is slowly losing his composure in failure and sales mediocrity. It's fast, energetic and smooth when things are going well; and it cuts back and froth between the McDonalds Brothers and Kroc in a way that seems to contrast not just the scenes, but their all-encompassing perspectives. Behind this docu-drama is a depth of conceptual vision, thought and careful artistic skill that, prior to a decade ago, was very rare. The soundtrack could have been better, but the trepidacious way the music flows at the end matches the uncertain tone of the ending: Sure, the business is successful, but it's not ultimately about burgers, just as McDonalds isn't ultimately about them - it's about real estate, and the pale colour of money. And in this, something is lost. It's almost as if Ray Kroc is losing what makes him grounded. While he clearly wanted to fly, and not stay grounded, it definitely cost him. But we're not told whether or not it was worth it: The uncertainty isn't resolved for us. In fact, we don't even know what to think about the $3.7 sweet deal the McDonalds brothers got to leave their contract with Kroc. They lost something too, but as Kroc says, do you think you were pushed around and hard done by? You have a cheque for $1.35m in your pocket. And, of course, ... this is true: it was a vast fortune at the time. It was nothing to complain about. And yet, even in his boasting and enthusiasm, half the time Kroc seems as if he's still the street hustling salesman, but this time, trying to convince himself. The point is: There's no cheap moralizing. There's moralizing, but all of the characters are super complex, and there's no clear answer given to anything. Instead of reducing everything to some simplistic solution, making a hard point, this historical drama instead leaves us unsure of ourselves, and our feelings, and unable to be certain about anything at all. No matter how you try to slice this cake, something is always left on the plate, unaccounted for; we're obliged to accept the entire, complete, complex, even contradictory whole. Just like real life. See more

Theodore M Mar 23, 2019 Pretty entertaining and well paced biopic about the making of McDonald's. While the beginning is pretty amusing and you feel sympathy for the ambiguous con man character played perfectly by Keaton, things get a little more serious in the end and you pretty much change your view of the man. That's an interesting untold story full of 1960s nostalgia but rather modern camera work and editing for our viewing convenience. See more

George S Feb 26, 2019 An amazing, yet terrifying look into the world of one of the world's most renowned businesses. Directed by John Lee Hancock (SAVING MR. BANKS), THE FOUNDER features the true story of how Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton), a struggling salesman from Illinois, met Mac and Dick McDonald, who were running a burger operation in 1950s Southern California. Kroc was impressed by the brothers' speedy system of making the food and saw franchise potential. Writer Robert Siegel (THE WRESTLER) details how Kroc maneuvered himself into a position to be able to pull the company from the brothers and create a billion-dollar empire. The film also stars Laura Dern as Ray Kroc's first wife Ethel; John Carroll Lynch as Mac McDonald and Nick Offerman as Dick McDonald. Honestly, when I heard this film was similar to "The Social Network", I knew I had to jump on it. I mean granted, it's been out for almost two years now but hey, better late than never. This film is on Netflix so it was easy to get a hold of. Anyways, what a great film! First off, Michael Keaton is fucking great. This dude knows how to act and he's fantastic in this role. He's a strong willed, almost scary character in a way. The characters in this film, especially Keaton's character, has such a strong arc that goes a long way here. It's riveting to watch. The overall story of how McDonald's came to be was a mystery to me. Although I'm familiar with business, this is not something I was accustomed to. What I got was a well told story that had me interested from the moment it started to the moment it ended. It's disgusting almost that this actually happened, but it's life and I get it. I'm just glad that someone created and executed well on a story that we needed to hear. In the end, "The Founder" was great. It was a well made film and a well executed film. It shows the darkness of the business we've come to half-love, and the enjoyment that it's come to be. See more

Albus S Feb 23, 2019 The Founder is based on a true life story. Very good acting especially Micheal Keaton as Ray Kroc. Very good characters that are portrayed very well. Very good cinematography with some really good shots. Good setting with the 1950s. Good set design that fits the era. Very good costume design that fits the era very well. Very good style with the colour scheme and how its shot. Good music that fits the movie well. Good story that is interning. Good dialogue with some really good lines. Some good comedy more toward the beginning. A little emotional at points more toward the end with Dick and Mac. There were a few little things but they didnt really take away from the movie. Personally Im not sure if all this is true so Im not judging this on how accurate this is. Over all the film is a very feel good movie. Over all I give it a 7/10 See more

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