I had no clue about the start up of McD's, so it was cool to learn the beginning of the story. Keaton really played the grimy and unethical businessman role amazingly. The McDonald brothers also were portrayed well, and apparently very accurately from what I've researched. I'm glad that I put this on. One of the better movies available on Netflix at this time.

I am not completely convinced by this character. He steals the McDonald brothers' original idea, but was it a good idea? Meaning he should have stolen a better idea. Anyway, when they meet for the first time (around 1954, isn't it?) they drive a brand new car. At the end of the film, that is around ten years later,we can see the same car in the parking lot, almost at the same place. This is strange.

The film tells a story of success. But it's not an ordinary story. You do not envy the rich man. You are even disgusting with that man. It reminds me of my social network film.

A whole lot of the physical structure of our society was invented, or built, in the 1950's. One could make a good argument that nothing as sweeping happened again for more than 40 years (till the appearance of the internet and everything that has come with it). A great discussion of all this can be found in David Halberstam's excellent book "The Fifties", which I highly recommend. Among other things, in the 50's, suburbs and suburban housing were invented, as were the interstate highway network, the modern auto industry, widespread air travel for the millions. So were rock music and the invention of "youth" as a separate societal group and marketing target. TV wasn't invented in the Fifties but that's when it exploded into a major cultural force by taking over every living room in the nation.And, of course, fast food restaurants. That's what this movie is about - the invention and growth of an entirely new category of food marketing and consumption, which has now taken over the world. That's the basis of the storyline, but the heart of it is Michael Keaton's portrayal of Ray Kroc, the franchiser who took the first steps to turn a single little restaurant in San Bernardino into the McDonald's Corporation juggernaut it now is -- the world's largest restaurant chain and the first of many other such franchises that soon followed. Keaton is in practically every scene (even if just as a voice at the other end of a telephone call) and watching him work is like sitting in on a master class in acting. In his hands, Kroc comes to life as a cocky small-time businessman restlessly searching for The Big Break that will make his career, After a partly-by-chance meeting with the McDonald brothers, who are the true inventors of the fast-food methodology, he sees just what he's been looking for, and from then on he pursues it relentlessly. What we see is that Ray doesn't actually 'invent' anything. But the one thing he is very good at is recognizing good advice and opportunity when it comes along, and seizing it. As it turns out -- at least in this portrayal -- he pursues this ultimate American Dream at the cost of his humanity and even of fair business dealings. There aren't many actors as adept as Keaton at seamlessly inhabiting the inner nature of his movie characters and making them totally real people with all their good and bad sides together.There are a lot of good supporting parts. Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch play Dick and Mac McDonald and they're a completely delightful pair to watch (even if they don't look at all like brothers). The scene where they actually invent the best operational layout for their restaurant -- and thus where they conjure out of thin air the essence of the entire fast-food business -- is a wonderfully choreographed bit of cinema to watch; I can't think of anything else like it in the movies. The great Laura Dern, who plays Ray's long-suffering first wife, is excellent but is once again underused, as she is so often. Linda Cardellini and Patrick Wilson have nice parts as a couple who Ray uses as more steps up the ladder.As a story, this film can be seen either as a character comedy or an American tragedy. In the end, director John Lee Hancock seems to opt for the latter.