The Founder (2017)
- Jess and Sam
- Mar 28, 2020
- 3 min read
The Story of Ray Kroc, a salesman who turned two brothers' innovative fast food eatery, McDonald's, into the biggest restaurant business in the world, with a combination of ambition, persistence, and ruthlessness.
Jess' Review
I’ll be 100% - this will be a somewhat unfair review from me. And I would like to announce quite clearly that due to our viewing circumstances that this film definitely requires a second watch from me. That being said, it’s a movie-and-review a day for us and I wasn’t about to fall so early in the game.
It took us the better part of 6 hours to watch The Founder. Now that may seem an exaggeration, but I assure you that my estimation is probably quite generous! There were multiple, extensive pauses throughout the day and regrettably my viewing experience suffered as a result. It’s not a reflection of the film, but rather my attention span and capacity to retain information. Difficult business, financial and legal-type information at that. However, we endured.
The Founder is essentially the origin story of McDonald's, following the journey of slimy salesman Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) into a corporate giant. I didn’t even clock the film was about McDonald's on first glance, it was an impulse choice from Sam and I was shocked at the story of greed and corruption soon laid before me. Kroc is loathsome, portrayed by Keaton in a wonderfully unpleasant performance. He steals the spotlight, much like he steals the dreams of the McDonald's brothers (Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch), however they both perform admirably. Mac (Lynch) is particularly sympathetic.
I think The Founder moves at quite a slow pace, and I found myself getting lost in some of the legal jargon towards the films climax. I personally struggle with heavily business-orientated films: I just don’t see the appeal. And I didn’t see much of the appeal in this one. It was a sad story, but I didn’t find it all that gripping. Nor did I particularity connect with any of the characters.
That being said, The Founder is interesting and is clearly made well. Some of the dialogue seemed a bit corny and at times it felt like one ongoing attack on Kroc; but for the most part it’s decent.
6/10
Sam's Review
(I swear a little... I apologise.)
While the film was good, I hope it’s seen by all as a testament to the evil of Ray Kroc. I hope he rots. And his tombstone should read, “Here lies a fraud, who crept onto the shoulders of true men, to call himself a giant. He was not.” (I’m aware that he’s dead, fuck him.)
As a creator, I have an innate hatred (a word that I dislike using) for Kroc. The man, as he is portrayed in the film, is the epitome of what is wrong with humanity. He is slimy, cruel and jealous. He’s a little man, who hasn’t the intelligence or courage for real thought, and so, as a envious child might, he snatches at the ideas of others, desperate to pretend that they’re are his own and that he is a great man. Not only is he not a great man, he isn’t even a true man. He shrugs his malicious business tactics off as part of the game, when in fact, it is not. Bad business is bad business, and not all money is good money. No matter what lies they tell you. And further more, I’d rather live a good life as an honourable person, than be rich, corrupt and lying to myself. Fuck him for eternity.
I despise, to the bottom of my soul, people stealing from others, original ideas and concepts more than anything. You’re not just ripping away my idea, you’re stealing my hopes and dreams, my passion and everything that I have put into the project. It is mine, and mine alone. Your vision has no place, for this is mine. And what Kroc did, no matter how you may feel about the business side of things, is wrong, morally, divinely and in any other way. Because. It was not his idea, vision or dream, and he had no right to voice his opinion. I worry that my words do not correctly convey how wrong it is, and my deep, burning hatred for the decrepit creatures who do it.
However, this is a movie review, and we aren’t meant to go over 450 words... The film moves a tad slow, and I would have enjoyed delving deeper into the business aspect. Though, perhaps, that wouldn't be interesting for the majority of the audience. It's entertaining and well made, but doesn't quite make it to 'great.' Oh, and, fuck Ray Kroc.
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