The Founder

Well, Michael Keaton was on a role, until this film.
It has the skeleton of an excellent film, how the international fast-food chain McDonalds was formed, but it wasn't executed brilliantly at all. It was rather square.
Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) is a travelling salesman, trying, in vain, to sell a milkshake machine and it isn't going well. He's also upset with how poorly run most of the drive-in restaurants are operating. Until he is shocked at how efficient a little place out in San Bernardino California is doing with their speedy service and simple products. He is hooked and wants to franchise the business. The brothers of the restaurant, Dick and Mac McDonald (Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch) are skeptical but force him into an iron-clad contract, or so they think.
But the franchise grows and the standards are usually overseen by Ray himself and he is particular. He also wants to make money and is upset when the business doesn't even break even. Fortunately, he runs into Harry Sonneborn (B.J. Novak) encourages him to invest in the real estate business where he would own the land on which the restaurant was located. This creates him a fortune but he wants to change how the restaurant is won as the walk-in freezer costs far too much money. This leads the brothers to want to sue but they can't. Even though it is their name on the restaurant, their idea for the noticeable golden arches, they don't have enough money so they settle. For one million dollars each and some of the profits, which they never see. They were honest and ethical while Kroc, all he saw was money.
Now, while that part was mostly done fine, it is Ray's personal life that is done badly. He has a nice, mostly supportive wife, Ethel (Laura Dern). While she is wonderful, she isn't as involved as he would like in a wife, so he divorces her and marries the lovely, blond Joan (Linda Cardellini) who is far more involved. The problem? She is married to the franchise owner Rollie Smith (Patrick Wilson) but she eventually divorces him and marries Ray. Who in their right mind would marry Michael Keaton over Patrick Wilson? Certainly not me. But whatever. His personal life was the film's weakest point.
While Ray Kroc is credited for founding McDonalds, the brothers deserve their due; it was their idea and he could have stolen it, but it was the name that attracted him to it in the first place. That didn't ring true. He was confused and shocked that there were no plates at the restaurant where he was served food. The whole thing was surprising until he saw the mechanics of the place and was intrigued. That was when it struck him but not until then.
Despite the solid performances (I still felt that Keaton could have been better) and the authentic feel of the film, it left me feeling nothing. I don't like McDonalds foods and this film cemented that firmly in my mind. Grade: B