The Founder

Michael Keaton stars as ruthless Ray Kroc in this backstory of the ubiquitous McDonald's franchise, whose innovative, assembly-line approach revolutionized the fast food industry. In 1954, traveling salesman Kroc is peddling milkshake machines to drive-ins in the Midwest when he gets a huge order from a roadside restaurant in San Bernardino, CA, run by brothers Maurice “Mack” (John Carroll Lynch) and Richard “Dick” (Nick Offerman) McDonald. An intrigued Kroc marvels at their mechanized fast-food operation, learning how they transformed their kitchen into a speedy “symphony of efficiency,” and persuading the siblings to allow him to franchise their carefully managed concept. As Kroc's ambitious enterprise grows, he not only becomes increasingly alienated from his long-suffering wife (Laura Dern) but also develops a relationship with the spouse (Linda Cardellini) of one of his business associates (Patrick Wilson). Soon enough, Kroc realizes that due to his restrictive contract with the McDonalds he's losing money. Enter Harry J. Sonneborn (B.J. Novak), a financial advisor who convinces him that he needs to own the land on which he builds. Kroc maintains that “business is war” as he adapts the iconic Golden Arches into a global brand. Directed by John Lee Hancock, the film effectively captures Kroc's ambiguity, with Keaton's warm smile and folksy friendliness taking the edge off his character's cutthroat business strategy. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a cast and crew press conference (38 min.), and behind-the-scenes featurettes (20 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a well-acted bio-pic.] (S. Granger)