Review of I, Daniel Blake (2016) by Tim M — 15 Nov 2018

I shed some tears when I watched 'I, Daniel Blake', the 2016 drama film directed by Ken Loach and written by Loach's frequent collaborator Paul Laverty. It stars Dave Johns as Daniel Blake, who is denied employment and support allowance despite his doctor finding him unfit to work. Hayley Squires co-stars as Katie, a struggling single mother whom Daniel befriends.

Let's hit the negatives before I start gushing about this movie. There is absolutely no concept of time. It's tough to know if a week, a month or even a year goes by from start to finish and that is a wee bit problematic. Also, the ending is utterly predictable. I saw it from a mile away. Sometimes a filmmaker ties up all the loose ends unnecessarily. Somewhere I have to imagine there was an alternate ending.

Loach's attentional to detail is a thing to marvel. He meticulously carves out a touch of life that is as authentic as it is a reminder that often we aren't doing enough for those less fortunate. Even if you caught this in the United States, it rings true. Unless you're filthy rich and/or have the means or the time to battle a government agency, we've all been given the runaround. You feel the frustration of our main character Daniel Blake (Johns). All he wants to do is work. This work is an inspiration and will provoke various emotions. Final Score: 8.1/10.