Looking Out for Number One

The Founder is a cautionary tale about the American Dream in all of its guises. Come up with an original idea, develop it, and you can be a success. But the real victor, at least according to this tale, is the individual that follows up on someone else's accomplishments by making them his own. That may be a brutal message, and if the film doesn't quite have the hard edge it needs to be totally satisfactory, it is an entertaining, fascinating work that does a fine job of detailing the remarkable narrative of Ray Kroc, who would become one of the 20th century's most famous entrepeneurs.


The film opens in 1954 with Kroc (Michael Keaton), a marginallly successful businessman from Arlington Heights, IL, selling his MultiMixer machines that could mix five milk shakes at once, from his car. It's not easy to get restaurant owners to listen to his pitch, so when his secretary tells him over the phone that he received an order for six of these machines, he is dumbfounded. Believing this was a mistake, he calls the owner of the restaurant about the order; it so happens that this is a hamburger shack in southern California called McDonald's, named for the two owners, brothers, Dick (Nick Offerman) and Mac (John Carroll Lynch). Mac tells Kroc during this call that indeed the order for six MultiMixers was an error. "Better make it eight."

Kroc, now disbelieving, drives all the way to California to see this restaurant and meet the brothers. He parks his car, drives up and orders his food, which comes to him in about 30 seconds. He's never seen anything like this, and he introduces himself to Mac, who gives him a tour of the inner workings of the immaculate kitchen, with its specialized ketchup and mustard dispensers, along with its assembly line-like organization. He tells the brothers that he wants to buy them dinner, so he can learn how their fast-food operation came about.

Their meeting is one of the most best parts of the movie; good ideas lead to one failure after another, but their persistence paid off with their most recent concept. During this sequence, we see a flashback scene of how the brothers planned out their kitchen, as they drew plans in chalk on a tennis court and had future employees move around, as they performed their various tasks. It's wonderfully choreographed - Mac calls it a "burger ballet" - and it is very well edited and photographed.

It's this persistence the brothers displayed that impresses Kroc; at the opening of the film, we see him listening to a recording of a lecture by a famous speaker about the power of staying positive. Kroc tried that on his own and met with little success; now that he has heard the brothers' story, the light bulb goes on in his head. Here is his chance at the big time!

I won't reveal any more of the plot, except to say that Kroc manages to take the idea of the brothers' restaurant and franchise it; yes, everyone knows how successful McDonald's became in the latter decades of the 20th century, but if you think you know this story, you don't. One step at a time, Kroc enlarges the scope of McDonald's, much to the chagrin of the brothers.

As Kroc, Keaton is marvelous. At times proud and focused, at other times unsure and nervous, his portrayal of Ray Kroc is multi-dimensional and is the center of this film. Keaton probably should have received an Oscar nomination for his performance - how the Academy loves actors that portray real-life people - but I'm guessing that the film was either under-promoted or was released much too late. Or it may be the simple fact that Keaton is the type of actor that doesn't emote; his strengths as an actor - especially when he is listening and not speaking - are more subtle than many performers that do receive award nominations.

I also want to single out the performances of Lynch and Offerman as Mac and Dick McDonald, respectively. Lynch is best known to most of us from his role on the Drew Carey Show television series, and he delivers a quiet performance, that ranges from good natured and trusting to regret. Offerman, (he was a featured performer on the tv series Parks and Recreation) truly nails his performance, as the more dominant and passionate of the two brothers. His scene with Keaton late in the film when they discuss final agreements on a contract, is evidence of his skill.

The movie is beautifully shot and lit by cinematographer John Schwartzman, who handled similar duties for director John Lee Hancock's last film, the underrated Saving Mister Banks. Schwartzman is an advocate of shooting with film, but agreed that one of the latest digital cameras (ARRI ALEXA) would work extremely well for this project, and he was right (I thought it was shot on film- the movie looks that good). His images of the American landscape early in the film are lovely, and he revels in the bright yellows and reds of the McDonald's logo, along with the bright blues of the American sky, capturing a beauty that at times is in contrast to the questionable behavior of Kroc. A snapshot of Schwartzman's expertise occurs during a brief scene when Kroc drives up to see a newly designed McDonald's restaurant; note the reflection of the golden arches on the windshield of Kroc's car. It's a mesmerizing, haunting image that shows how a talented director of photography can combine lighting and overhead composition to realize a visual that is stronger than the sum of its parts.

As for director Hancock, overall his work is fine, as he presents this story in an understated tone; it would have been easy to make this film heavy-handed. But while he succeeds at that level, he does tend to underline a few too many scenes (as in the restaurant when he spots a beautiful woman that will become his next wife) and does tend to dawdle a bit at times. Hancock's last film Saving Mister Banks was one of my favorites films of 2013, and if The Founder is not quite at that level, it is a very good film nonetheless.

As we walk away from The Founder, we can't help but think about the brothers, and how their hard work has become nothing but a footnote in history. Fortune may favor the bold, as one character famously quotes in the film, but perhaps it also rewards those who bend the rules a bit. While I wish the film had a tougher screenplay that focused more on that aspect, The Founder does has enough strong points in its overall approach to make this a highly entertaining look at not only a big slice of American history, but also an insightful view of capitalism, in all its good and bad realizations.

Serious - and not in the right way

Spotlight is one of those films with a serious story to tell; the problem is that is takes itself way too seriously. What could have a been an enlightening movie is instead a somber, rather dull film that preaches its seriousness at almost every turn.

The title refers to a small investigative unit at the Boston Globe; the time is 2001 and a new editor named Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber) has taken over. A quiet workhorse, he expects nothing less that the maximum effort from his employees, all the while realizing that he was hired to regain readership. With that in mind, he tells the editor of the Spotlight team Walter Robinson (Michael Keaton) that he wants them to look into the stories of abuse of young boys by Catholic priests. There are a few reports that the paper has been made aware of, but Baron and Robinson know that they cannot get into a "he said, he said" argument with the Catholic Church; rather they must get to the root of the problem and learn the truth about the Church's dealings with the scandal in the large picture.

Thus the film starts off promisingly, as the reporters delve into their new assignment, while trying to deal with the whims of their new boss. On this level, the film has some life to it. But after that, it falls under its own weight of seriousness, as we get repeated scenes of the reporters looking up files, interviewing victims and answering phone calls. There's nothing particularly cinematic about this and Tom McCarthy's leaden, obvious direction does nothing to bring this film to life.

Make no mistake, this is an important story and bravo to the reporters at the Globe for their dedicated work in taking on the church, especially when Boston was (and remains) heavily Catholic. This could have been a gripping film, but about halfway through I couldn't wait for it to end. This is a talky film and while much of this is expository dialogue that helps explain the story and specific actions taken by certain characters, it's done in such a preachy way. There is a scene more than halfway in the film when one of the reporters, Mike Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo, in a ridiculous haircut), argues with Robinson about the getting their damaging reports in print before a rival local newspaper gets the jump on them. It's one of those ACTING moments that you see in lesser films and here it's treated as though we were hearing about the apocalypse. McCarthy directs this scene with a sledgehammer as he fills the screen with Ruffalo's face, basically hitting the filmgoer over the head with the message that what the actor is saying is IMPORTANT. It's just too much and it ruins the moment.

When I watched this scene, I couldn't help but wish that someone with a similar approach as the late Otto Preminger would have directed it. Preminger was famous for showing us multiple characters in a scene and only using closeups when necessary. Thus, we as a filmgoer can look at the image as we wish - we're not told to look at one particular character. But in this scene, we are force fed Ruffalo's diatribe and it's all too much, which ruins the moment, as the message is not as important as the image.

We are also treated to too many of the same shots of reporters sitting in their office, asking each other questions about the progress of their work. Again and again, we get this similar scene, or else we get them talking on the phone about the investigation. They may be collecting evidence necessary to the plot, but we sit there wondering when we will see something different. This kind of storytelling hems in the actors - here we have talented performers such as Keaton and Ruffalo not being given any breathing space. We don't get Keaton's personality in this film - contrast his performance here with his brilliant work last year in Birdman. In that film, director Alejandro Gonzalex Iñarritu literally let Keaton soar; here all Keaton can do is sit in meetings and recite his lines. It's not a bad performance, but there's no substance here, as too often we listen to him utter dialogue such as "Good work" or "We can't run it yet."

At the film's conclusion, I was tired of how smug and self-important the filmmakers came across. They tried to make another All the President's Men, but failed on a large scope, as this film has none of the visual flair or subtleties of that wonderful Alan Pakula film.

If the tone of this film wasn't enough to turn me off, the final title cards surely did the trick. These mention how many other cities had to endure similar child abuse scandals; these title cards go on for a few minutes. Then we see a logo for SNAP (Survivors' Network for Abuse by Priests); talk about getting hit over the head! We got the message, already!

Finally, when I left the media screening of this film a few weeks ago, I was greeted by a woman who was a member of SNAP, who handed me her card. Honestly, I was insulted by this behavior. Couldn't I just see the film and make up my own mind?


P.S. One of the few positives I can report on with this film is the performance of Stanley Tucci as Mitchell Garabedian, attorney for the victims. Giving us a character who can never be pinned down and whose alliances shift over the course of the film, Tucci gives us a complex character, the only one in the film. He is the single actor in this work who sheds the lead boot of McCarthy's pompous direction.

Connquering Your Inner Demons

Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), the latest film from director Alejandro González Iñárritu, is for anyone who's had to to tackle their inner demons at one point or another in their life (I think that includes just about everybody). At times very funny, at times introspective, the film features an excellent screenplay, first-rate work by the entire ensemble cast as well as imaginative and remarkable direction and cinematography. It's as original a film as I've seen in some time.

The film deals with an actor, Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton), who is looking to shed his super-hero film image (he was the fictional Birdman in several films more than a decade before this story begins) and take on the Broadway stage. He's adapted a short story by Raymond Carver and is starring and directing in it as well. I love the way the story opens in media res, as we see him in his tiny dressing room, trying to sort out the craziness of a rehearsal, balancing his time and efforts among the other performers as well as his press agent Jake (Zach Galifianikis, in a nicely tuned low-key performance). Even now with his dream project about to take off, reporters still want to ask him about his Birdman days, though Thompson clearly wants to rid his psyche of that period in his life.

The rehearsal and prevue performances are wonderfully handled in a very matter-of-fact style by Iñárritu. His camera tracks and flows across the stage and through the tiny corridors of the theater passageways, giving us a personal feel to what's going on, both for the audience as well as in Thompson's mind. That remarkable camerawork is that of Emmanuel Lubezki, who is one of today's most gifted and imaginative cinematographers (Gravity, The Tree of Life, Children of Men). 

The film is presented as one long take and unless you are properly trained in this, it's very difficult to see any cuts (I only noticed two and hard to look hard for them). The setups for each sequence must have been incredibly painstaking, but the results are spectacular. There's one sequence on stage where we follow Thompson, who walks downstage to address the audience; at the same time his wife in the play is in bed with someone else. The camera moves with Thompson, but effortlessly and without a cut, the next moment, the camera is under the sheets, hovering over the characters in bed. It's just one example of the work turned in by Lubezki on this film; it's not simply a bag of tricks, it's innovative work that seems natural and heightens the emotional turmoil of Thompson's character.

There are several excellent performances, most notably Edward Norton playing a vain, eccentric actor (a parody to some extent of his real-life persona?) and Naomi Watts, as a actress with a sweet naiveté about the acting business; this is among her finest performances. But the star here (literally and figuratively) is Keaton as Riggan Thompson. He just can't seem to get the past out of his mind; indeed we hear the voice of the Birdman character several times in the film telling Riggan that he's a bit crazy to take on his new endeavor, especially given the fact that he's still well recognized for his superhero film roles. Keaton has a balancing act in the film, moving back and forth between the present and the past, trying to convince himself that he's not entirely crazy, and yes, he is a good man who just happened to make a few mistakes along the way in regards to his daughter and wife. It's a roller coster ride of emotions and Keaton delivers in brilliant fashion.

Without giving away too much of the last section of the film, Birdman poses the belief that you can conquer your demons by literally soaring above your problems. It's a message that resonated with me and made this a memorable work. It's the best film for Iñárritu since his captivating Amores Perros (2000). Highly recommended!

Favorites from the Chicago International Film Festival

The President

Winner of the Gold Hugo as best Film of the 2014 Chicago International Film Festival

The 50th Chicago International Film Festival wrapped up its two-week run a few days ago and it was a smashing success! I attended the fest at the beautiful AMC River East theater complex and was amazed at the crowds on the weekend of October 17-19; the organizers were quite right in making the theme of this year's fest "Everybody Loves Movies," as thousands turned out to see the latest in world cinema. Founder and artistic director Michael Kutza and his team have made the Chicago Film Festival undoubtedly one of the finest in the United States.

There are so many films shown during the two weeks, that's it's impossible to see everything. Please keep that in mind as I write about my personal favorites from the fest, as I realize I missed out on some films that were highly praised. But I did try and make an effort to see many different types of films, be they dramas, comedies, shorts and documentaries.

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The President (Georgia, France, U.K., Germany) - directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf. This film was awarded the Gold Hugo as the Best Film of this year's festival; bravo to the jury for selecting such an original, provocative film! In an unnamed country (perhaps Georgia or a neighboring land), a dictator must flee for his life after the military overthrows his government. The president sees his wife and daughters off to the airport in the nick of time, but stays to fight for his regime along with his five-year old young grandson. At times funny, but mostly chilling, the film focuses on the desperate measures the former ruler must go through just to survive from one day to the next, as soldiers are out to capture him, dead or alive, for a large ransom. 

Director Makhmalabaf masterfully brings an immediacy to the story, beautifully capturing small moments so well, as when the president and his grandson must pass themselves off as street musicians, with the young boy wearing a cardboard box while performing an impromptu dance. I have not seen other films by Makhamalabaf, but based on this single work, it is clear that he is an extremely talented director, one who understands the spatial boundaries of the screen (his compositions are at once beautiful and sadly heartbreaking). He has been called one of the leaders of the Iranian New Wave; this movie along with A Separation (director, Asghar Farhadi), which was awarded an Academy Award as Best Foreign Film in 2012, offer proof that some of today's most remarkable films are being made by directors from Iran.

Stockholm (Spain) - directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen - A look at a chance affair at a bar between a young man and woman that turns into much more than a one-night stand. A very intelligent screenplay by Isabel Peña and Sogoyen that offers three dimensional characters who each practice their own particular dance; he (Javier Periera) will do anything to impress this woman, while she (Aura Garrido) is quite unsure of herself as well as his motives, yet feels drawn to him. This is such an impressive study of a male-female relationship that is only rarely seen in Hollywood; this is not a "meet cute" film that major studios routinely produce. Great work by the two principal performers, especially Garrido.

Human Capital (Italy) - directed by Paolo Virzi (review here). A look at the excesses of the rich in northern Italy, set in the current day economic crisis of the country. The film is told in four chapters, as there are multiple viewpoints of a tragic roadside accident that sets the story in motion. Each chapter also provides insight into the emotions of the various characters, most of whom are not happy with their current lot in life. Beautifully written, directed and acted (the entire cast is first-rate), the film has received numerous awards in Italy; I believe it can also be a critical success in America (and perhaps even relatively popular at the box office).

Fearless (United States) - directed by Ted Kotcheff - A splendid short film (26 minutes) that deals directly with the question of the quality of life. An aging actress sees a young man outside her estate who is ready to kill himself; she challenges him and invites him in for tea, provoking him with questions about why he would do this. During their time together, we discover that she also has problems with her current existence; clearly her glorious past as a movie star is a thing of the past. An engaging performance by Fionnula Flangan; sensitive direction by the 83-year old Kotcheff and an insightful script by his daughter Alexandra. In its brief running time, the film treats serious questions about life and death with greater complexity than many feature films. Highly recommended.




Sand Dollars (Dominican Republic, Mexico) - directed by Israel Cardenas and Amelia Guzman. A dream-like film about the relationship of two women, one a young native of the Dominican Republic and the other a European in her 70s. The older woman (an outstanding performance by Geraldine Chaplin, who is not afraid to display her 70 year-old appearance) feels alive again with the tenderness shown to her by her young lover, while the young woman is attracted to her older companion, if only for the fact that she has money. This is a film of wishes and hopes, and while some of these desires are dashed, the characters have an eternal outlook that things will work out for them. Chaplin was awarded the Silver Hugo as Best Actress in this year's festival.



Human Voice -La Voce Humana - (Italy) - directed by Edoardo Ponti. Another short film (25 minutes), this a magnificently filmed telling of the Jean Cocteau eponymous short story in which an elderly woman (Sophia Loren) talks to her lover on the phone one final time, painfully realizing that she will never see him again. Loren, who was 79 years old when this was filmed (she recently turned 80) is brilliant in this role - you'd have to say that this ranks among the finest works of her career. There is an urgency in her voice and such primal emotions on display- she takes your breath away with this performance! Her son Edoardo tenderly directs this tale, while the brilliant cinematography is by Rodrigo Prieto, who is one of the finest directors of photography working today (recent credits include Argo, Babel and The Wolf of Wall Street). His deeply saturated blues and reds in the apartment scenes add irony to the film's plot and his compositions of the actors set against the Napoli seaside is stunning. I can't imagine the Academy nominating a short film for cinematography, but it would be a worthwhile nomination; I don't know if I'll see a more beautiful and professional job of cinematography this year (note, this was shot on film stock, not digitally). But perhaps the film will be nominated for an Oscar in the Short Film category; I would love that, as it would allow a good-sized audience to see this gorgeous film!

The Look of Silence (Denmark, Indonesia, Norway, Finland, UK) - directed by Joshua Oppenheimer. This is Oppenheimer's companion piece to his 2013 documentary The Act of Killing, which told the story of a select few of the individuals that committed brutal government-approved murders in Indonesia in the 1960s. While that film recreated the deeds of those individuals, The Look of Silence concerns itself with the story of the brother of a young man who was one of the victims. He confronts the murderers and asks them if they feel any remorse. Like the first film on this topic by Oppenheimer, this is a devastating film. One final note: many of the end credits - especially for assistant directors - read "anonymous"; clearly many of Indonesia's citizens are reluctant to talk about this terrible period in their recent history.

Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles (United States) - directed by Chuck Workman. An excellent documentary about a true genius of cinema, this film is a great introduction to the work of Welles - theater as well as film - and will be appreciated by devotees of Welles. My full review will appear in December when the film hits theaters, for now, you can read my interview with Workman about this film here.

Birdman (United States) - directed by Alejandro Iñarritu. A highly original movie about an actor who has left his superhero days behind and is now tackling his first Broadway work, adapting, directing and starring in a dramatic play. He asks himself often in the film if he is crazy to do this; his life complicated by several others in his immediate family and in the play. (I'll write a full review in a few days.) Great lead performance by Michael Keaton, who was awarded the Founder's Award from the festival for his work in this film. 

I've Seen the Unicorn (Canada) - directed by Vincent Toi (full review here). A film for the dreamer in all of us set amidst the world of thoroughbred horse racing in the small nation island of Mauritius. We follow the trials of an owner and a jockey who desperately want to win the country's biggest race; we also learn the story of a young boy who will do whatever it takes to become a jockey in a few years. A delightful film - only 60 minutes in length - full of simple pleasures as well as exciting race scenes.

Algren (United States) - directed by Michael Caplan (full review here). A heartfelt tribute to the famous Chicago writer, the champion of the dispossessed. Beautiful photos from the 1940s, '50s and '60 shot by Art Shay illustrate the life and times of Nelson Algren. There are many wonderful stories in this documentary, told by famous writers and directors such as William Friedkin, John Sayles and Philip Kaufman.

Other films I enjoyed included: 

Maestro (France) - directed by Lea Fazer

Joy of Man's Desiring (Canada) - directed by Denis Coté

The 100 year old man who jumped out the window and disappeared (Sweden) - dir. Felix Herngren

The Divide (United States, short film) - directed by Ashley Monti

Tir (Italy) - directed by Alberto Fasulo

I would think the Chicago Film Festival team would have a difficult time topping themselves next year, but I'm quite confident they'll be up to the task. Here's to the 51st Chicago International Film Festival in 2015!