“1 Big Mac, fries and cola please.”
That's what you’ll be saying in your head 10 minutes into The Founder. Not that the movie boasts of some pretty close-ups of our beloved hamburger, far from it. But it does bring the "crazy burger ballet" of the the first ever McDonald's kitchen alive.
Set in the 1950's in Southern California, McDonald's was the brainchild of two good-hearted brothers, Mac and Dick McDonald. "Symphony of efficiency, not a waste of motion" is how they described their creation, forever changing the way America and the rest of the world eats.
But the one to see potential in their revolutionary 30-second meals was a man called Ray Kroc, a shrewd salesman with the business acumen of a genius – from there on begins a saga of unmasked greed and single-minded determination and perseverance to take over the original idea and turn it into a multi-billion-dollar empire.
Director John Lee Hencock and screenwriter Robert Siegel ensure that this 117-minute film is a compete happy meal. Engaging to the core with its moments of intensity as Ray Kroc's unscrupulous mind comes up with dirty tricks, we are torn between our love for the sincere brothers and Ray's enterprising fervour. Also, the delectable nostalgia that the America of the 60s and 70s brings up – when eating from a paper bag without using silverware was unheard of – is refreshing.
Ray Kroc by no means is an ideal role model and Michael Keaton does a good job of bringing out the shades of grey. His ruthless decision-making ability and the breakneck speed at which he wants to rise to the top can get unnerving, but Keaton doesn't pull his punches.
John Caroll Lynch and Nick Offerman as the quality-driven brothers mostly at a loss of words in the face of the Kroc band of slyness makes one wonder if good guys always end up last, but this story does make for a compelling watch!
4 out of 5 QUINTS is what I give The Founder. Go for it knowing that the crazy craving for that perfect McD burger is bound to kick in!
Video Editor: Rahul Sanpui
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