The Founder **** (2016, Michael Keaton, Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch, Laura Dern, Linda Cardellini) – Movie Review

The Founder starts as an advert for McDonald’s fast food and the disposable, ambitious, cheery, patriotic American way. But then, just when you think you are paying to see and advert, it turns quite dark and really tasty. It turns into an advert for persistence.

The little known story is imaginatively told by director John Lee Hancock and writer Robert D Siegel. Great work, guys! It qualifies for the increasingly rare category of movies for grown-ups, and is a time capsule movie and buddy picture too. So, a movie for old folks, I guess.

Michael Keaton is outstanding in the tricky role of real-life salesman Ray Kroc, who, at 50, turned the amiable McDonald brothers’ then innovative fast food eatery into one of the biggest restaurant businesses in the world as a franchise. Once Kroc is told ‘you’re not in the eatery business, you’re in the real-estate business’, he never looks back, dumping his supportive, long-suffering wife (Laura Dern) along the way for a cuter, younger model, Joan Smith (Linda Cardellini).

Kroc is not a crock of gold, he’s the other thing. His ambition, persistence and ruthlessness are pretty disgusting, but somehow sneakily admirable, and Kroc remains likeable and charming as played by Keaton. We are suckered in by Keaton on screen in the same way folks back then (1954) must have been suckered in by Krok in real life.

Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch are ideal in likeable performances as the amiable McDonald brothers, Dick and Mac, whom Kroc royally messes over. Dick and Mac would be the buddies who qualify it as a buddy picture. Offerman and Lynch are fun together. They deserve a movie of their own.

The production designs by Michael Corenblith are glorious, the cinematography by director of photography John Schwartzman gleams, and I particularly loved the score by Carter Burwell. It is a very smart movie all round.

John Lee Hancock is known for The Rookie (2002), The Alamo (2004), The Blind Side (2009), and Saving Mr Banks (2013)

© Derek Winnert 2017 Movie Review

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