The Founder
What’s it about?
A down-on-his-luck milkshake machine salesman (Michael Keaton) comes across a hamburger joint that’s revolutionized fast food and has an idea on how to get involved in the business in a big way. A.k.a: the story of how an asshole came to claim he was the founder of McDonalds.
What did we think?
Elizabeth Best says: I always thought Ray Kroc was the founder of good old Maccas, but it turns out I was wrong… and sort of right. Ray “won” the right to call himself founder through a lot of clever assholery and fast talking that has to be seen to be believed. Here’s hoping the “Oscar buzz” for Keaton turns out to be true, as this is a fine performance to follow his turns in other nominated films Spotlight and Birdman. For a thoroughly fascinating movie on the origins of McDonalds, the story sure left a bad taste in my mouth. So much so that I’m boycotting them… at least, until I smell someone eating a delicious cheeseburger.