The story of Ray Kroc, known around the world for his own autobiography, as well as a number of books about MacDonald’s, has long deserved to be realized on the big screen. The film, over the past two years, has not yet managed to replenish the various lists of recommended films, because it usually takes more time. At the same time, “The Founder” is one of the best examples of motivational biographical films based on the history of building a business. Ray Kroc was not forced to overcome a deadly disease, the loss of a loved one. His story of formation and success has inspired and will inspire millions of enterprising people around the world to think more broadly, and the Michael Keaton film makes its creative contribution to this life-affirming process.
Although the character’s image contrasts sharply with the personal vision of Ray Croc in the book, and this is understandable, all key elements of MacDonald’s story are placed in the right places. Even if you don’t have a fondness for legendary fast food, used to have the vaguest idea about the history of the brand, and the first time you hear about Ray Croc and the McDonald brothers, the film carefully works on our involvement in what is happening. This is the success story of one person who will go from a seller of plastic cups to one of the most famous CEOs in world history and the realization of this result does not spoil the impression of watching. After all, the path itself here is more interesting than the outcome we can see today.
"Founder" interestingly plays the famous expression "American dream". First, we have the success story of one particular entrepreneur, who saw the stairs up, being almost at the bottom of his life, in the sixth decade. Second, the film carefully transports to the screen the atmosphere of the USA of the 1950s, with fashion women in bright dresses, open cars, green lawns and a white fence, music, references to the popular, corporate and political culture of American society of the time. If we talk about film associations, then it is as if the town of Hill Valley from the cult trilogy Back to the future came to life before us.
A separate approving word deserves, of course, the starring actor Michael Keaton, whose career, now in the seventh ten, is experiencing an incredible rise. The image that came off the screens may not convey the real identity of Ray Kroc, as the public used to remember it, but it is an art film that lives by its own laws. Mr. Kroc from the film combines incredible determination, the desire to change the world for the better and not always the best attitude towards others, even loved ones. He goes from an almost desperate elderly man to a primetime star and is interesting to watch at all stages. The second plan, especially the McDonald brothers, also keep up and don’t seem like extras.
Hard work beats talent, or the art of stealing and monetizing ideas.
The story of how, having perseverance and no moral principles, to get rich on someone else's idea. Hard work beats talent, as the Americans say. And as we can see, it works if your morals are flexible enough.
Throughout the film, we follow Ray Kroc’s life, starting with his introduction to the Mac Donalds restaurant. He is about 50, he is quite disappointed in life, but does not lose persistence, working as a salesman-seller of mixers. Ray Kroc is even slightly sympathetic, until you put yourself in the place of the real founders of MacDonalds, who are shown in the picture.
I imagine how incredibly difficult it was for the filmmakers to enlist the support of the relatives of Ray Croc (the hero of the film, the founder of McDonalds) and at the same time show Ray Croc at least approximately who he was - an unscrupulous bastard, ready for any scam that does not go beyond the limits of criminal law, for money.
Michael Keaton, as always, is brilliant. The transformation from a salesman to a successful businessman surrounded by lawyers and millions of assets is well shown. He is not ashamed to use his power. Hard work beats talent? As we can see, this is the case if people are just steps to big money that you need to step over in time.
Until the age of 52, Roy Croc’s life was hard to call successful. He was interrupted by casual earnings and actively traveled around the country, desperately trying to sell machines for milkshakes to owners of cafes and restaurants. In 1952, Roy meets the McDonald brothers. This meeting forever changed not only the lives of these entrepreneurs, but also the catering industry.
John Lee Hancock (“The Invisible Side”, “Saving Mr. Banks”) made not just a film about a brazen bakery salesman with a patty, he made a film about the American dream. What is the American Dream? The American Dream is the ideal of freedom or opportunity. Roy Kroc took advantage of all the opportunities given to him by fate, sometimes walking on his heads. No one promised that a successful entrepreneur would be a nice guy. They say that Steve Jobs was not a gift either.
Roy Kroc’s film on the screen was Michael Keaton. Having triumphantly returned to Alejandro G. Innaritu in Birdman, Keaton once again proves that the gunpowder in the powderboxes will still be enough for a long time. This is a really great job that deserves attention. The McDonald brothers are played by Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch, who manage to show the difficult path that people with innovative ideas go through.
The story of the McDonald brothers is a great motivator, because when the first McDonald’s restaurant opened, no one wanted to get out of the car and get in line for Coke and potatoes. The Roy Kroc story shows that you don’t have to invent something to be called the Founder.
8 out of 10
You never noticed, starting to watch or learn someone's success story - we will certainly be given a person who overcomes life difficulties, refusals to recognize and other troubles, which naturally and always leads him to success.
Undoubtedly, throwing a cube, once in a while, you will inevitably fall six, which we call luck. However, in such stories, we are never told about many others ' McDonald', who flew from a distance and remained at a broken trough, initially believed that perseverance is the key to success.
In my opinion, man is a changeable creature and for the consequent rapid burnout to bright ideals, nothing awaits us but disappointment and joining the ranks of gray losers. Consequently, all such stories are only opium for the desperate, but continue, instead of creating a revolution, blindly try to get rich on already saturated platforms, without even understanding the correct principle of persuasion, when your first client should be ' and not another filler of the list ' refused'.
Undoubtedly, a series of failures led our hero to get acquainted with the brothers who later presented him - in the base light of the emotionless shark of business, which does not take into account the interests of honest people, but more about this later. Now our smoothly shaved hero is encouraged and inspired by new prospects. He stubbornly follows the path to glory prepared, as if for him - without compromising the principles of the ideological inspirers, the original McDonalds.
Everywhere, I have this dilemma: Who was this film made for? To whom? Does it promise to breed cynical deception among future business builders? Do we not see the original anti-advertising? After all, Kroc acts as an antagonist here, which will definitely not affect the growth of a positive attitude towards the company. However, the beginning of the evil empire was laid. The brothers, without knowing it, released the mythical Kraken to freedom, inconsolably serving the purpose of cutting off the health of descendants, billions of tons of innocent lives and the contents of our wallets, hardly meeting the principle ' Quality is more important than quantity'.
The moral of this fable is this.
1. There is no place for emotions in the business world.
2. No one can be trusted.
3. A person whose money is a priority will not look into your side, with a broken trough in the future.
4. No matter how high you go, don't forget who you crawled with.
John Lee Hancock is the director of beautiful biopics. Each film is based on real events. They are all very different, but sometimes you can notice similar features. ' Founder' like 'Saving Mr. Banks', not only biographical but also production drama. Both plots clash with each other two driving forces - the True Creator and the High Businessman. True, in 'Save Mr. Banks' The Creator (writer Pamela Travers) and the Businessman with impressive creative talents (the great producer Walt Disney) managed to find a common language and work together, although it did not start very positively. In ' Founder' this scheme works exactly the opposite.
This is not a story of collaboration. This is the story of the winner.
Such a circumstance can alienate viewers with tender souls who truly believe in the postulates of kindness and friendship against the background of building a big business. For them, the main character will seem positive for a long time, and then suddenly it will become negative. On the contrary, I really liked the incorruptible and tough honesty of the picture. Ray Kroc is not a monster. Ray Kroc is an ordinary person who is distinguished from other people by a purposefulness, sometimes crushing slobbers who do not want to keep pace with progress and desperately trying to keep in balance their own piece of land on which they are happy.
You can call Ray an egotist because he treated the poor McDonald brothers so unfairly. He made a name for himself in his company. But similarly to the McDonalds themselves, selfishness is also quite applicable, albeit in a different context. Not wanting to develop their business to the scale of the country, and then the world, the McDonalds provided original products only to residents of the surrounding area (excluding rare visiting tourists), while they could, on the principle of Croc, expand their horizons and give many more customers the fruits of their own labor.
Squeezing all the potential out of someone else’s idea, which no one was really engaged in, or leaving it to dust on the shelf until it withers after half a century? What's worse? Did you think that global corporations were created by pathetic and peace-loving alliances, concluded with a constant smile on your face and never limiting the interests and principles of the partner receiving dividends on the other side of the contractual leaflet? Sorry, you lost a fairy tale in a previous John Lee Hancock movie. Goodbye. Thank you for coming.
Remainers are invited to consider the plot from a different angle. We remember perfectly well that, no matter how productive this drama is, it is primarily a biographical one. The central character is only one person who has done everything possible to reach the heights and justify his own potential. A man who at some point did not want to put up with the despondency and humiliation of a stopped life. A person who seized the chance to escape, survive and ensure a comfortable, and most importantly - a fruitful existence. It so happened that he had no reason to continue pitying those who wanted to settle forever in a comfortable and comfortable world, surrounded by codes of everyday rules that do not involve any risk to life and career - and therefore exclude any personal and corporate growth.
Everyone decides to step forward or stand still. If you cannot and do not want to develop, do not interfere with the development of others. Even on your own bones.
What would you do if you were Ray Croc? Would you keep selling mixers?
Overall, the film itself is very well done. In the process of becoming both a person and a corporation growing with him, you get involved literally from the first minutes, risking almost never getting bored until the very end. Systematically, schematically, but at the same time extremely simple and clear narrative moves from point A to point B, having time on the way to pass through all the necessary stops. During the viewing, I managed to have fun, and worry, and sadden, and, most importantly, more than once feel the tides of real working spirituality, with which Ray Kroc stubbornly overcame the difficulties that arose even when no one believed in him.
'He made himself!' - you can shout at the top of your throat, appearing a complete fool. Isn't it? Isn't that what we've been told for two hours? Should this be considered shameful and unacceptable? Isn't it because of people like Ray Kroc that we have all the elements of modern comfort that we can't imagine our lives without?
So far ' Founder' is John Lee Hancock's latest directorial work. I really hope that John Lee Hancock will not stop there and will definitely find new stories worthy of embodiment on the screen.
8 out of 10
We really liked this #film from the creator of the Invisible Side and Saving Mr. Banks director John Lee Hancock.
First, in the title role the incredible Michael Keaton with his trademark grin - we believe that his type and charisma perfectly embodied the image of a cunning and dodgy businessman.
Secondly, not many people know that such a famous business tycoon Ray Kroc is not really the author-founder of McDonald’s, but just a successful entrepreneur who took advantage of someone else’s idea, who was able to correctly replicate it.
Third, it is useful to remember that big business is a tough game of survival, and those who are harder, smarter and faster to adapt to changing conditions win. Unfortunately, the path to success often lies through conflicts, failures, difficult and even predatory decisions. Is the hero right or did he act dishonestly - the answer is not obvious?
We recommend those interested in business, lovers of biopics and those who lack support and inspiration for achievements.
Double dynamic, one American dream and a dose of sociopathy, please. C myself.
Screenplay from the mythical blacklist, the inimitable Michael Keaton in the title role and John Lee Hancock as director. Very successful mix. Having not gained a resounding fame at home, like the McDonald’s network itself, losing to its competitors at home, this picture aimed at the European and Asian markets and was well received by the public and critics.
The film “Founder” tells the success story of Ray Croc, known as the father of the world’s first fast food chain. It all started in the fifties, a time of great beginnings. The birth of rock 'n' roll, the development of the Dream Factory, invention and various discoveries. Ray, like hundreds of other savvy entrepreneurs, did his best. Perseverance and acumen allowed to maintain a house, a spouse and even enter the elite club of wealthy gentlemen. All at the cost of trial and error as a salesman. Like many business owners, he needed more. Something great, something revolutionary. And now luck knocks on his door, presenting the McDonald brothers hot, only grilled, and packed for takeaway. You just have to take it.
Take it is one of the key words in business. Whether you’re selling air or starting your own business, getting your “own” is important. And like many other predatory sharks, Ray is no exception. He sees prospects and knows how to take advantage of them. Half the time, though, he's lucky. Accidental acquaintances provide him with everything he needs. You just have to use people on time. Which he does successfully. Like a fox snuck into a chicken coop, he persuades the brothers who came up with the whole technical concept to make him a partner. And then you just need to develop the franchise until another successful acquaintance throws up the idea of how to abandon the brothers.
In the film, it is portrayed as having to break free of a limiting contract, but that will not stop him from literally crushing those who allowed him to become part of someone else’s American dream. I will never tire of repeating that for me, in many ways, business is legalized robbery with all its inherent attributes: fiction and robbery. Commodities are empty things, fraud with contracts and securities, usury and other miracles of real success. And Keaton's hero successfully fits into the role of an unscrupulous businessman. What is remarkable is that the actor, who plays all positive characters throughout the second half of the last century, now reveals exactly opposite roles. And in this picture, Keaton can be called the personification of bastardism. A real vulture becomes the king of an industry that nourishes people with non-natural products as a living embodiment of unnatural success.
+: Dynamics in the style of "Action without action" is amazing for the biopic. The game of Michael Keaton, organically fits into his role. Screenplay and production, perfectly conveying the spirit of the 50s.
-: The film misses one detail - the cinematic version of the Croc family is incomplete. It could have been even more interesting.
For some reason, our homegrown distributors decided not to give the “Founder” the way to the mass audience and banned it.
I consider this a crime against humanity, because there is a “vila cash register” in almost every metropolitan courtyard, and there is nothing seditious in the biopic about the formation of a corporation named after the two founding brothers.
The trailer is not worth drinking, because it leads a false route with a bias in comedy, which in fact “Founder” is not.
And it is a story about how three old men met - uncles who were already far beyond. Two sold hamburgers using their invention of fast-food and service technology in a restaurant named after themselves, and the third was Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton, aka Batman in the 90s), a not-so-lucky salesman who sells mixers and at leisure listens to motivating speeches about the power of positive thinking and perseverance. And to go into oblivion to this ordinary restaurant, but the irrepressible energy of the salesman Ray still dragged the corporation of fast food into all sorts of "lists of the most-most" according to these your Forbes.
If during the viewing it seems that Michael Keaton fiercely overplays, then be sure to sit up to the final credits to look at the live performances of the real Ray Croc - after this you will appreciate how well the actor entered the image. With an armored locomotive, he pulls the plot, the short-lived wife and those two inert brothers. I do not know how close to reality the corporate conflict between the parties is shown, but according to Hollywood, the confrontation between Croc VS Brothers is a struggle between progress and stagnation. Despite the successful concept of the restaurant, the founders of the first diner Dick and Mack did not dare to get out of their comfort zone and develop a name brand, which literally raved alien salesman. While Kroc was wandering around the States, promoting the “golden arches”, the brothers quietly had their own small Gesheft without claims to super profits. As a natural result, an enterprising businessman through “sleight of hand and no fraud” squeezed short-sighted brothers out of business, assuming the title of Founder. And he made a humble diner out of the sheep that we all know today. Leaving behind the scenes the modest fact that thanks to the business model he developed, the current McDonald’s is not so much a hamburger as one of the largest property owners around the world.
As a native of Hollywood to a wide audience, the film shows the corporation from a purely positive side. In the tape there was no place for mentioning low-paid work; obesity as a consequence; confrontation with anti-globalists and periodic terrorist attacks in restaurants. And also reduced the merits of others that, in addition to Croc himself, made a significant contribution to the development of the fast food empire.
However, the image of an energetic elderly entrepreneur who occasionally goes out to the viewer with monologues will constantly keep in mind the idea that everything is in our hands, so they should not be omitted. And he'll add a few more clichéd postulates like "it's never too late to start" or that "success is 1% talent and 99% perseverance."
The film is well motivated, so it is recommended to watch.
A few months before the premiere, rumors spread that the producers categorically did not like the final act of the film and that the director was instructed to urgently gather the actors and send them to reshoots. It is for this reason that the film remained outside the Oscar race, in which he would no doubt have taken an active part.
You can treat Ray Croc differently, calling him a crook or a person who was in the right place at the right time. You can call him a vile and mercantile man who can betray at any moment, closing his eyes to all agreements and handshakes. You can call him a lousy family man who at the same time leaves his wife and goes to a young beauty, completely forgetting about the times when he and his wife crowded in their small apartment. But one thing cannot be denied: perseverance. This word is pronounced for the film several times, and it is the word Ray Kroc himself puts in the basis of his success. A man who stole the idea from real creators, but thanks to his entrepreneurial streak managed to build one of the most profitable fast food franchises.
John Lee Hancock, the creator of such hits as "The Invisible Side" and "Saving Mr. Banks" competently and authentically builds the atmosphere of the first 50s, and later 70s. He does not try to stigmatize the image of Croc, making him the absolute scumbag that he is in the eyes of many people. The brothers came up with the basic concept, and Kroc managed to sell it. Without one there would be no second and vice versa. McDonald’s success can’t be attributed to brothers or Croc alone. Dick and Mack, hardened conservatives living in the provinces, never seriously considered and wanted to globalize their product, taking every failure to heart. Kroc, on the other hand, was able to expand this to an incredible extent, equating McDonald’s with a new religion. Croc can be compared to Jobs, both in unscrupulous relation with once close people and colleagues, and in the fact that he did not invent anything, but managed only to skillfully stick the product into the hands of consumers and shareholders, thereby making them believe that there is no better. There really wasn't any better. And now it is an axiom (although now Subway and others have appeared).
It is impossible not to mention the wonderful Michael Keaton, who has been walking around the Oscars for a year, but still in no way. Yes, the film, like Scorsese's "Silence," has suffered greatly from ineffectual marketing and belatedly sending screeners of the picture to academics. It is a shame when such purely technical moments deprive conditional Keaton or Offerman of their awards. And they deserved it. It's just a pity that old Keaton changed agent so late, in his seventh decade. Couldn't have done it before?
That’s why I love foreign films that are based on real history – it’s because they show the development of anything, the hero, events, industry, etc. – in progress. You can track where it all started and what level it has reached so far. Not in all movies, of course, but in most of them. And this goes against the notorious Russian cinema, in which, for the most part, there is nothing more valuable than the demonstration of what “was, was, was and passed.” It seems to me that such films are mainly aimed at those audiences who like to live in the past and say “how good it was three hundred years ago.” As for good foreign products, they, demonstrating past experience, allow the viewer to compare with what is available at the moment in order to create a reserve for the future. After all, moving forward is life.
In fact, the film “Founder” added to my piggy bank of films recommended for viewing, due to the fact that it demonstrates how it began what is successfully functioning at the moment and constantly adapts to a changing world. In this case, we are talking about, known to everyone, Macdonald’s network.
The food served on this network can be treated differently. However, in my opinion, one should not underestimate the fact that this market player remains one of its leaders for many years.
In fact, at the center of the storyline of this film is the story of the creation of this brand and, more importantly, its development. For, in this case, the creation and development involved completely different people. As someone ignorant of the chronology of Macdonald’s events before watching this film, I was quite curious and amusing to observe all the vicissitudes in its history.
It is worth noting that this film does not have excessive dynamics in the development of the plot. In my opinion, it is not necessary for films, akin to this. At the same time, the development of this film I would compare with the process of knitting. Clinging to each other, hook by hook, everything that happens in the film looms in a ready-made plot canvas, which does not give the viewer the opportunity to either miss anything or fall out of the storyline.
Also, I think this film can be considered a visual business manual, because it demonstrates one of the key principles of doing business: “you can come up with a brilliant idea, but not be able to sell it”, “you can not come up with a brilliant idea, but be able to sell it”, and “you can come up with a brilliant idea and be able to sell it”. At the same time, in my opinion, these principles are unlikely to be relevant for Russian business: it is very different from the American one. However, it seems to me that people interested and developing will be interested in looking at a healthy example of the transformation of small businesses into large ones.
Speaking about the characters, of course, I cannot but note the noticeable similarity, in my opinion, of Michael Keaton, who played the main role, with the real character Ray Croc. In fact, as well as the similarity of other actors with their prototypes. However, what I was most pleased with was how the character development in this film is presented, how their motivations are developed, and how the relationship of cause and effect is presented. Heroes, like the plot itself, develop harmoniously and very logically.
Of course, to most Russian viewers who are far from business, this film may seem like a mere demonstration of how things are going on “with them.” However, I see great value in this film. First, it provides food for the mind, in order to compare “as is” and “as may be.” Second, it provides some valuable lessons such as “age is no hindrance,” “attention to detail,” “surrounding yourself with the right people,” etc. Finally, as I said at the beginning of my review, it provides an opportunity to see how the company, which was founded more than 50 years ago, continues to develop and function.
And, yes, America is not famous for classical ballet, but their burger ballet is something that no other like it in the world can match.
8 out of 10
The history of becoming one of the largest fast food chains in the world. One film tells the story of the rise and fall of the idea ' fast food' which, in its essence, became revolutionary.
Plot
The film follows a previously unknown (to most) side of McDonald’s. It's not just a movie biography. This is a real tense picture that holds the viewer’s attention to the end.
Actors
Michael Keaton is a great character. A man who feels like a fish in the water in business. During the development of the plot, the hero becomes almost hated, but business is business.
Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch, who played the roles of the McDonald brothers, looked organic (with the contrast between the shark of business). The brothers who created McDonald’s but couldn’t keep it.
'In our house, the wolf and we let him in.'
' Founder ' this is a film of high quality, but not a broad spectrum. There is dynamics, drama, intrigue and struggle. Ray Kroc's story on the way to his goal is inspiring: ' Perseverance is the most important thing.' Such a movie is in time to show for educational purposes for marketers, because the person who turned the burger into a cult has earned his place not only in the world of cuisine, but also in cinema.
But more than once this movie is not worth watching.
It is no secret that in recent years, American cinema is almost completely mired in numerous self-repeats. Repeating either the full content or individual moments of certain paintings. Thus, reducing the number of truly original, fresh and new ideas to a production minimum. Which is criminal considering the fact that the life stories of so many people deserve to be heard and the story of entrepreneur Ray Kroc is one of them.
Starting in 1954 and ending them on the screen with the events of 1970, the filmmakers cover almost 16 years from the life of Ray Croc. It has turned a popular but backwater fast food restaurant into one of the most extensive fast food chains and perhaps one of the most powerful food franchises in history. Very accurately, deeply and voluminously revealing to the audience the history of the formation of the McDonald’s brand, as well as everything that has long remained behind a tight curtain and far from the public eye.
The plot of the picture, albeit very accurately reveals the real events on the screen, but from the point of view of cinematography, it very accurately follows the precepts of the Social Network by David Fincher. Very voluminously reflecting on the screen the relationship of Ray Kroc with the direct creators of the idea of McDonald’s and testing their relationship throughout the film. Along the way, raising themes of friendship, honesty, conscience, loyalty and betrayal.
At the same time, it is impossible not to note the most objective view of the creators of the tape on what happened. When you call someone a villain, the tongue does not turn. Like the McDonald’s brothers, who did not dare to keep up with the times and develop their dream, or Ray Kroc himself, who turned a modest enterprise into one of the main products of the American “fast food nation” and popularized it even around the world. One thing remains obvious when viewing the tape. The film teaches you to achieve your dreams and desires against all odds. But whether you hold the face of humanity, or easily walk over the heads, it is up to everyone to decide.
Having shot such wonderful films as “Saving Mr. Banks” and the Oscar-winning “The Invisible Side”, the director of this film John Lee Hancock did not hit his face in the dirt at all. Having created a truly exemplary biographical drama on the screen, you watch the events of which literally - with a fading heart and an indescribable interest in what is happening. When, the desire to break away from what is happening on the screen does not arise at all, and almost two hours of screen time fly by in a few moments. In sum, leaving only the most positive impressions of what they saw.
Michael Keaton perfectly got used to the image of a cynical, determined and persistent “shark of business”. By creating a very ambiguous and controversial character on the screen, to which you feel the same sympathy and dislike when watching the tape. This is not the best role of an artist, but it is certainly he who carries the whole film on his shoulders. A wonderful game was demonstrated by John Carroll Lynch and Nick Offerman, who managed to completely dissolve in the images of the McDonald’s brothers. It’s like they’re real on the screen, not actors at work.
8 out of 10
The founder is the true story of becoming one of the most popular franchises of the American fast food nation McDonald’s. Very exciting and insanely interesting film, watching which you learn a lot of new things. Not just watching the events taking place on the screen, but also diving into them with your head to the toe and easily losing track of time when watching.
"Victory does not go to good simpletons." There is no place for this type of business.
A film in the spirit of ' social network' by David Fincher, directed by Jim Lee Hancock. There are not many paintings on his account, but this work came out very useful. The picture tells about the formation of a well-known worldwide (now in Kazakhstan!) restaurant chain, showing the unsightly underside of the business.
Michael Keaton ("Batman''One Honest Policeman''Birdman') came to the spot. Although he does not show any special outstanding game, but perfectly copes with the role of a cynical shark of business.
Nick Offerman and John Kerroll Lynch, who played the roles of the McDonald’s brothers, also did well. They turned out very textured characters, overshadowing the main character at times.
The film is not as boring as it might seem at first. It is enticing from the first minutes, thanks to an excellent story based on real events. This is what gives the narrative a special charm and causes genuine interest. After all, in the place of Keaton or McDonald’s can be or was any person engaged in business.
Conclusion: An interesting story with a great actor in the lead role, well-directed and submitted for viewing.
Each of us one way or another knows about the fast food chain MacDonald’s – someone buys coffee there every day, someone lives nearby, someone advocates that there be fewer junk food eateries, including these. Now everyone has a chance to know how it all started. More precisely, as the founder of McDuck Ray Kroc, this McDuck founded.
The main role in the film of John Lee Hancock was played by Michael Keaton, who over the years returned to the main roles and never ceases to pleasantly surprise the audience. If you look at Keton Croc, you might think that this actor is the best suited to the role of the creator of MacDonald’s – a certain similarity exists. Thank you to the makeup guys too.
“Founder” is the story of how an ordinary household appliance dealer Ray Kroc, who once treated himself to a fast food restaurant with two brothers – Dick and Mac McDonald’s, decided to expand their network and open similar restaurants in as many American cities as possible.
Over time, the MacDonald’s network grew, and Kroc decided to become its sole owner and here some viewer can decide for himself that Ray Kroc is no more than a kind of raider who took over someone else’s business, and then appropriated everything to himself to the cent, and if you look from another point of view, you can note the persistence and desire of Croc, with which he went to his goal.
After all, "Founder" quite clearly and clearly makes it clear how difficult it is to do business in several cities and in the area of risk is the owner. After all, if in one institution in one state a mistake is made, in a burger, for example, a dead cockroach will be found, the entire network will be put under attack, and it will be very difficult to whitewash your name. (Something similar here is presented, only for the leaves of the salad – look and see what I mean.) Such a simple example makes it clear that not only personal control is important here, but also the search for like-minded people who can be relied on, who will not fail and will regularly perform their duties.
At first, the film looks like a slightly ironic film, simple and uncomplicated, telling about the birth of something grand, but then the film goes into another direction, telling about the ruthless world of business, in which the perch eats the fry, and himself, in turn, is eaten by a larger fish.
The film left a good impression, despite what Kroc did to the brothers (how can you remember an honest handshake without signatures). Actors, including Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch, who played the Mack brothers, Michael Keaton, as well as episodic appearances Patrick Wilson, Linda Cardellini and Laura Dern played very well. Positive perception was promoted by the spirit of the mid-twentieth century, represented in cars, clothes, music and signs.
But look at you. I do not impose my opinion on anyone.
Do you like big Macs? And cheese sauce? Personally, yes. When my eleven-year-old boy was first brought to 'McDonald's'- it was a miracle. Fragrant buns, the heat from which, pleasantly envelop the fingers and ask inside. How often my friends and I, in a drunken frenzy at the dawn of the day, when all the shops were closed and our stomachs were buzzing like electric razors, escaped in the yellow-red glowing palace. Even hardened snobs, talking about the harm of everything and everything, have been to this temple at least once. Admit it. Not me. Myself. It's empire and element. Let these words sound too loud.
And for Ray Kroc in 1954, such words seemed like life’s only salvation. Fifty-two-year-old mixer dealer, he traveled around America, offering restaurant owners a miracle device that produces several high-quality milkshakes at a time. This is where the movie starts. From his memorized script to snatch potential buyers. Such speeches did not bring the desired effect. But one day, the sky opened and six of these devices were ordered. Ray, like me, didn't know why so much. Everything fell into place when the hero Michael Keaton saw a modest place with carefully thought out politics. Against the background of other harchevny, ' McDonald's' stood out clearly. Speed and quality were surprising then and, if you think about it, are striking now.
Truth be told, I didn’t think the birth of the franchise was due to such twists and turns. Ray Kroc, through the creators and his wife, bent his line and burned with one idea. Make a network of global scale standing at the very top. With his hands in his belt, he importantly obscured the decisive place where the descending golden arcs form the letter "M". It's a big deal. McDonald's is America. That's what Ray said, a little bit of a scaling up. ' McDonald's' is the world. Created by perseverance, determination and, most importantly, perseverance.
Ray Kroc was burning the whole movie, and he wasn't going to die. After all, the chance to realize your hidden dreams is not often translated into action. We live in a world of dead ideas, where only the most persistent and uncompromising take their torch from the inside, setting fire to everything that is inflamed, inspiring and forcing them to accept this fire as a given. Sometimes you have to fight for an idea. Not always yours. But whether it matters. There is no limit to perfection. Bringing someone else’s idea to the masses is also an art. More to the point, it turns out that methods are not always important. It remains only to turn on the ignition and trust your engine.
The wrapper is not always supposed to be beautiful. Food doesn't always have to be gracefully served and served by a slick, unflappable waiter. Sometimes you just need to eat fast. With a hangover, from sadness, or for many other reasons.
After watching this movie, a lot of questions arose. And they were all given to themselves. But there is one clear answer to the most important question. There is no single way to achieve your goal. The main thing is your fire, which wants to appear to others. He definitely needs to do that. Otherwise, he will fill the whole soul with poisonous smoke. Intoxicating fog, he will dull and make wander the streets without purpose, like millions of other dead souls.
For frankness - 8 out of 10 and . I shoot two balls for being a little snob.
The film tells the story of the legendary McDonald’s network. How a fast food restaurant made a brand that is recognizable all over the world. The innovative concept of McDonald’s allowed the head of the franchise Ray Kroc and his associates to make the network, more than a place where a person can eat. This place is associated with the island of the American dream. When people come here, they want to immerse themselves in the American way of life. McDonald’s became the basis of soft US policy, unobtrusively spreading culture and American values in all countries of the world, regardless of political system and religious views. It's strange why dozens of movies about the legendary network have not been made. The story is on the screen.
Watching the film was fun thanks to the play of old-new movie star Michael Keaton. He perfectly showed the acumen of Ray Croc, who saw McDonald’s as the future of American culture. Personally, I did not have the question of why all the laurels from the creation of the restaurant went to Croc, and not the brothers Dick and Mac McDonalds, the true creators. With all due respect, the McDonald's brothers would never have achieved world-class status, and remained a unique restaurant of one city or two states. They didn't have the grip and confidence Ray had. He sleeps with his teeth against the wall. It was read in everything, in eyes, movements, nervousness. The last feature was felt through the screen. Ambitions were rampant. He wanted to be at least Walt Disney. And he did it.
The reason is simple, read the comments on the film on different sites. And where there were more than 1-2 comments, 80% had a similar comment. He took the idea and enriched himself for free. I think this opinion is too everyday. I have a different view, at least in the context of what was in the film.
It’s as if he’s overturned them in the end, but is that true? There is always a look from another angle.
Originally McDonald's, there were two men over 40 who traded in a box somewhere in a rural town. If you calculate how much they earned at that time, at least approximately, the picture will be clearer. Burger + cola + potato = $ 0.35 (moment from the movie). Even if you count 300 visitors, well, let’s 500 (which is unlikely) a day, earning 175 bucks, that’s 5250 bucks a month and that’s 63,000 a year! Subtract taxes and expenses (how much they have) at best 50,000 a year. It looks like good money in those years. But that's it. They did not want to develop further. That is, he could not steal the idea of development.
The second part of the comment that the protagonist with nothing made money, again the look of unknowing people. They forget that it is not easy to organize everything. The McDuck brothers failed, but he did. Find sponsors, build a system, control, development, documentation, financing, advertising, real estate, tons of little things. They say nothing. It turns out that even a good idea is worth nothing without competent implementation.
As a result, from this stall from the village, without investing in the development of franchises, without fussing with franchises, the brothers earned on them, and then raised 2.7 million dollars for two, without having to close. Not sour, is it? Yes, you can say intellectual property, the idea of quick cooking, but they themselves would not have achieved this.
If they were on the same wavelength, not horned, but helped, what would they end up with? Much more. The protagonist tinkered with franchises and at first had almost no money at all, and his house was mortgaged, by the way. The brothers are in his position, NO! They approved of his new ideas, NO! Then what else to expect, if they slow down the process of development, why they are needed? I think it's done right here. Even from a moral point of view, nothing bad happened, in my opinion. Everyone's on top.
Movie, good. Not the director's strongest work. The acting is excellent, although the disclosure of other characters is weak.
Look anyway. Even if you are cool with fast food. There are interesting moments and still one of the largest companies in the world. It's interesting to know how it all started.
"Founder" is a name that is somewhat puzzling at first, referring to the biography of Ray Kroc; the man who made McDonald' successful, ranging from a local establishment in California to a global fast food chain around the world. It's puzzling, because he's not the founder of McDonald'. However, the name fits Croc’s specific approach to achieving success, a typical American dream of a person (even if you are over 50), which subtly captures the essence that if you want something, you should go to the end and stop at nothing, even if the idea belongs to someone else.
Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) is a tireless salesman, rubbing and squashing, in another way and not to say, for many years various equipment. One of the latter is the milkshake-making device he carries from state to state in the trunk of his car. One day, in the town of San Bernandino (California), he met the brothers McDonald’s (John Carroll Lynch and Nick Offerman), who designed a conveyor that makes high-quality fast food in a matter of minutes. When he got excited, he felt the potential of the system. Ray convinces the brothers to let him grant the franchise. The brothers, who also dreamed of it but did not succeed in expanding, agree but make up a tough contract. However, their trust is Ray's ascension to the top and their simultaneous demise. This is the age-old history of corporate capitalism: the success of one person is the exploitation of another.
Newly reanimated career Michael Keaton's character shows a mixed representation of Croc's qualities, who is willing to drop anyone - and all - under the bus in his ruthless quest to succeed. He is an individual, ready to do anything to promote himself and uses everyone to meet his own needs and goals. Even a long-suffering wife (Laura Dern), who wants to empathize with. The croc abandons people as easily as the adaptors abandon their principles without remorse or regret. Creating and running a profitable corporation is his goal in itself, and he doesn’t care who he has to step on to get to the top. To his credit, the actor does not portray Croc as a villain. Nope. He sees him as someone willing to use whatever means he can to achieve the American dream of success, prosperity and, most importantly, respect.
Keaton, like the director (John Lee Hancock, who knows how to shoot well stories based on real events) absolutely does not care whether the viewer will like Croc or not. In the film there is absolutely no remorse, and no one softens the colors. More like sympathy for the McDonald's brothers. These guys, who have done a great job of making a great fast-food restaurant concept, are ultimately powerless against the smooth-talking shark that ultimately devours them.
"Founder" - a film that could easily claim awards if distributors did not miss the release date. It’s a simple and uncomplicated story about how a person who isn’t necessarily the best or most talented is willing to do anything to be recognized. Although Kroc did not come up with a system inside the kitchen, he had a talent for branding, and 'McDonald's' is an ideal American brand, and the golden arches designed by Dick McDonald serve as an architectural beacon of family pastime to this day.
P.S: sure that "Founder" will not force the viewer to boycott McDonald's, but it can make you think twice about ordering one of his milkshakes.
The film ' Founder ' directed by John Lee Hancock is a fairly common work for this director, which is, so to speak, classic for his professional habit, namely for his certain addiction to stories about famous or simply unusual people who somehow achieve something that others could not achieve: it can only be understood ' look ' towards such past works as ' Saving Mr. Banks' or ' The Invisible Side '
But when in previous films, John gave the viewer characters mostly positive, in the dogmatic understanding of their worldview, then here we see a hero whose actions are already based on the desire for immediate own fame and wealth. But does this make him an antagonist of the picture? You can't say it alone.
You see, Michael Keaton played Ray Croc, who, despite his unambiguous guise of such a devourer, deceiver and manipulator, you can not treat without understanding and regret. His hero is a 52-year-old man who pursues happiness all his life. His ideas, which at first seem multi-level and successful, turn out to be empty words. In many banks and many creditors, it has become famous as an indicator of the futility of a certain innovation. They laugh at him, they don’t believe in him. The worst part is that he doesn’t believe in himself. Such a person before the viewer appears Ray in the first half of the picture, in which the viewer forms a connection with this character. And then the creators masterfully work with this very connection: showing a change in the face due to the thirst for a permanent income, and as much as possible, screenwriter Robert D. Siegel, based on historical facts, in a sentimental context shows what kind of person should not be. How far in the transformation into 'Wolf of Wall Street' should not go. This movie demonstrates all the facets of such a rebirth, Michael Keaton, thanks to the unsurpassed game, displays both an ideological, agile businessman & #39; light hand' and an angry, assertive shark of entrepreneurship. You can’t say that personalities played by Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch, namely the real creators of the Mac and Dick McDonald diner empire, contain positive aspects, and Ray appears as an undeniable evil – no, it’s not. The value of this tape is precisely in the fact that there is a place for gray, color, color of ambiguity, color, which makes you think about characters. Here we can see the development of relations between the characters, the development or degradation of the same characters mentioned earlier, and moreover, this happens in the realities of events that actually once took place. . .
' Founder' 2016 is just a strong, good, high-quality film that was able to present itself in a number of nominations at the upcoming awards ' Oscar', but due to the frankly lousy advertising campaign and the eternal destabilization of the release date was simply missed by the Film Academy, which now, in the face of many of its members, apologizes for the positive reviews and reviews that this tape really deserves. Having a budget of seven million dollars, the authors were able to penetratingly recreate the entourage and atmosphere of the 50s of the twentieth century, while filling the picture not only with some visual camera curtseys towards the direction ' Spirit of the Hive' Victor Erise da classic road-movies like Dennis Hopper's "Easy Rider", but also with excellent musical, minimalist, but also memorable musical accompaniment.
I cannot say that this film is a masterpiece. Nope. But as the story of the growth of wealth, but the impoverishment of the individual, as a moralistic panegyric of perseverance, as an indicator of the acting skills of Michael Keaton, who at one glance can make the viewer again doubt his attitude to Ray Croc, this is a beautiful film. The most undeservedly overlooked picture of this year, perhaps, which for this, and many other reasons previously listed, should be seen.
P.S. Thank you very much.
"Founder" by John Lee Hancock did not become an event in the box office USA and Canada. Therefore, such a film path in the Russian rental, of course, ordered. Even despite the fact that in Russia "restaurants" fast food McDonald's a pond. By the way, the franchise reached the neighboring Kazakhstan, and now in the two main cities of the country there are already 5 buildings with the most popular sign. And this is just the beginning of expansion. What's all this about? I think that a good box office for the film would be provided by friendly teams of each institution. Big Taisty!
Overall, the movie is good in itself. Even allows himself to flirt with the judicial part of the cult "Social Network". Ray Kroc’s life is clearly divided into two stages: life before McDonald’s and after. File-o-fish. This "after" was outlined in the production project Jeremy Renner. Not to say that before meeting the brothers McDonald balding mixer suffered failures in life. He had a big house, a wife and an office. Only there was no truly stunning success. Yes. Chicken McNuggets.
Any self-respecting man strives for such success. Although most of the 52-year-old is already thinking about retirement, loss of energy, loss of interest in women and the inability to change the established order of life. Double cheeseburger . But not Ray Kroc, who caught fire with such a burning desire that the “oil well” he found eventually brought him an astronomical amount of money. He seemed to drink the elixir of youth and plunged headlong into the embodiment of the notorious American dream. He was good at it. Mcchiken
However, some aspects of the film still raise questions. The divorce happened out of nowhere. Yes, there were prerequisites in the form of a constant absence of home and the appearance of a blonde, but the decision was submitted on a daily basis. Harry Zonneborn played a significant role in the creation of the empire, but in the plot he appears, looks through the accounting, proposes a simple plan and then steps aside. Remembered that he was played by one of the squad of bastards Aldo Raine. Fred Turner, the right hand of Ray Croc, like walking furniture. Cheeseburger.
Well, he roasted the cutlets perfectly, began to walk next to the boss, and what? "June Martino" was a faithful assistant to her boss, and what? It’s just that in the end, they give information about the fate of these three people, and this is strange, since they did not occupy significant places in the plot. Michael Keaton is a great actor, he tried his best. It shows. But the creators do not seem to have fully decided whether to show its transformation into a nasty type or not. What he did to his brothers doesn’t make a man look good. Yes, it's business, Ray Kroc explained himself. Hamburger
Explained he wouldn't help a drowning man. His position is clear. Screenwriter Robert D. Siegel did not show the ambiguity of the hero’s actions, but rather the uncertainty in the personality of Ray Kroc. He's a nice guy or a bad guy. Not the moment when you can blame everything on the presence in the character of a person white and black. The way he fell in love with the wife of his companion also looked out of place, because there was no development in this storyline. Or it was, but the audience had to assume what was going on. Royal Cheeseburger
Okay, something about the bad and the bad. Good things have to be said. Ray Croc's dinner scene with the McDonald brothers is entertaining. Quick installation with the help of many frames fascinatingly presented the story of the opening of the first diner with high-speed service. It is gratifying that the hero of Michael Keaton is shown as a businessman with a good grip. The conflict with the brothers, who had little annual revenue, was very well communicated. They had a gold mine, and he made it his. Who wins? Let's eat a Chickenburger !
6 out of 10
P.s. It is cool that in one frame appeared Michael Keaton and Patrick Wilson! Their faces don’t look alike, but I always thought there were a lot of similarities between them. In grins, in gleam in the eyes, in surprise, in body movements. Some kind of soul mate. The Double Royal Cheeseburger!
The story will be interesting to those who love MacDonald's, not as you thought' entrepreneurs who like to read Forbes, attend trainings and improve their development system through the experience of influential people. I like to watch sexy girls lick ice cream, it's the same with buns. It reminded me of a shawarma stall on which a model with a huge chest is drawn tearing the shawarma apart, as I can describe it ... ridiculous, you can’t say otherwise. So history tells us not about the founder brothers, but about a man who suddenly came to them, ate their burgers and bore them all along. Was it wrong? I don't know, but that's what they showed. We have Ray Kroc, who sells all sorts of nonsense and praises it, just like in 'Shop on the Couch' they sell all sorts of nonsense, we switch these channels, but, God, they are not as annoying as the ambition of some pea jester annoys, the whole film carries some kind of nonsense, the bigger role I did not expect, I do not know how to write normal negative reviews I either sit and swear in the theater or throw popcorn at the screen, there were both.
Maybe it's because I hate McDonald's? No, I don't care what they sell, I'm interested in the system as an economist! You can admire the genius of the development of the network, at that time any idea brought the maximum money, the risks were minimal, niches had no competitors, now go and take a loan to open a franchise secured by your home, you will even be told that you are wonderful. But there's so much drama in that, and even more amazingly, how Michael Keaton tries to be sad. He can’t be an actor, just as I can’t be a lawyer, everyone has his own character, he’s like an annoying consultant who can’t be driven away and doesn’t say anything necessary.
A few words about the work of the crew! Filmed more than well, but despite the quality is too boring and less and less have to pay attention to sound and videographer!
4 out of 10
“No honor, only perseverance.”
The story of the American Dream and its distorted realities. Beautiful speeches in books and harsh life outside the doors, different chains that do not fall together in the same core.
In this world, plenty of colorful creatures, with an original vein inside. But not everyone can send it to a smooth swim without burning. Among the yellow field, there is also grayness with a rough skin inside, and a naive look outside.
There are enough talented men who want to bring their revolution to life. And when they took their first steps, everyone abruptly forgets about those nice guys, the next yard, with a bubbling fantasy.
Business is war. Military laws are cruel, ignorance of them does not exempt from responsibility. Everything has a valuable foundation, and money is a valuable foundation. Does not stick with moral values, honor, talent and even common sense! Persistence is what drives them to transcend themselves, the family, the built past. Seduction? Quite possibly. It is not for nothing that the devil once declared the conquest of all mankind by such an element as money. Whether it’s a myth or not, we won’t know in this world. Except in delirium, bathing in surreal dreams. But it's subjectivity, and it's little valued in the market. Facts? Oh, yeah! They're to every other man's taste.
Returning to the thesis of this review – “Persistence”. The main driver of productivity. Oddly enough, he was the main character of this story, Ray Croc. A man who was in love with an idea, even if not his own. And two talented guys who did not want to let their child go outside their home yard, fearing the premature surge of modern society. But you need to protect any product, even if you do not know about its true prospects. "Wolves around." “A good artist will copy, a genius will steal.” Having exchanged the fifth decade, he did not stop trying to start his engine, instead of giving it to the anguish of eating dust. He believed! He thirsted, shedding sweat and destroying the nerve ending in his brain that the arrow would pass a hundred. And the spark burned, opening a second wind.
The world is cruel, the world is genius. There are traps all around. Every day begins with surprises, innovations and discoveries.
Ray Kroc can be attributed to these two layers. The left is the one that the germ of his so-called child was not he. But this fact is not so important to the public, based on what his era turned into.
And the right is the link that put the ultimatum in the life of our hero, and he used it. Our subconscious gut is unpredictable. Sometimes science moves away from psychology by immeasurable numbers. Which proves the problem of implementing close contact.
Michael Keaton, who played the founder of the big M, as Wikipedia writes, every year, more and more goes into the fog of comic images, in front of the current audience. In recent films, proving his maturity and wisdom as an actor. And all this in a universal way.
There was a rebirth in which viewers see a completely different act of action.
As the film tells us, perseverance is the main element in the origin of the product. Now I understand why the name of the painting “Founder” was justified. Only we are the engine of our destiny. It is possible that this windmill will lead the old wolf to the long-awaited golden statuette. Who knows. After all, the lungs are working, and the rails are not out.
Yeah, the strong eat the normal, then make a film about it, how he stole the idea, the scheme, the technology and how he exfoliated everyone in the bazaar, plus a monologue full of hatred at the end. .
Where did I see that? 'Social Network'.
I understand when imaginary heroes jam imaginary enemies, but here everything is real and autobiographical. What about Pinochet?
And what if suppression, comparison with the earth became a paradigm?
It is necessary to decide - either live like this or follow the commandment & #39; do not steal' I won’t stand up for the feelings of believers – it’s just disgusting from this type of cinema.
The man who made the corporation 'McDonalds' as it is. A system that gave the world the ‘Mac Index’ 39 and far ahead of its time in terms of management standards. The film adaptation of this story was only a matter of time and it took place.
But the story ' Maca' doesn't begin with Ray Croc, it begins with the McDonald brothers. It was the brothers who came up with the concept of a fast service restaurant, they came up with its appearance and maintained high standards of management and product quality in their restaurant.
But the brothers’ thinking was not strategic; they were interested in local success and conservatism, while Ray, who convinced them to collaborate on the franchise, was global and tirelessly striving for progress. Croc’s enthusiasm constantly provoked him to conflict with his brothers in business development, and such disagreements sooner or later were bound to end in serious conflict.
Michael Keaton played his role brilliantly and very accurately emphasized the positive and negative sides of his character. At the beginning of the film, this is a simpleton salesman who has not achieved much in his life until the age of 52, but as soon as Ray seizes on a truly promising idea, a ruthless businessman wakes up in him, who literally builds his Empire over the heads of friends and comrades.
With the help of a financial analyst, Kroc first bypasses the brothers, limiting their influence on the business, and after a while he gets rid of the analyst himself. Such actions of Kroc from a human point of view look, of course, negative, but for the development of the corporation they were forced, and we see confirmation of this every day.
'McDonalds' somehow became a part of the life of each of us, and the importance of this corporation for the world does not allow you to call the Founder' a classic biopic, rather it is a story about how a person made a corporation his life, and a corporation became a human life.
8 out of 10