I, DANIEL BLAKE
Legendary British director Ken Loach ( Kes,
The Wind That Shakes the Barley) has l ong been regarded as the king of kitchen sink realism, driving a stake straight i nto the heart of social and working class i ssues in a way seldom seen i n mainstream cinema. His l atest effort, I , Daniel Blake i s no exception, perhaps t he most affecting, i mportant and t i mely portrait of a broken welfare syste. It ’ s essential and responsible fi l m- making, arriving i n New Zealand at a ti me where our mouldy rentals are making children sick and f amilies l i ve i n cars.
The fi l m opens with Daniel Blake, a middleaged widower l i ving i n Newcastle, as he l earns that his recent heart attack will prevent him returning to his li f e- l ong work as a l abourer. So begins Blake’s descent i nto t he hamster wheel of the broken welfare system. He’s unable to get a sickness benefit because the powers that be deem him healthy enough to work, while his own doctor won’t l et him work because his heart can’t take i t.
Meeting a struggling single mother Katie along the way, I , Daniel Blake highlights t he administrative structures i n place to keep society’s most disenfranchised trapped i n an endless, powerless l oop of bureaucracy.
Screenwriter Paul Laverty knitted t he achingly naturalistic script t ogether f rom hours of research and i nterviews with real people suffering under the very same system, groundwork that becomes very clear i n the humanity t hat oozes t hrough every l i ne.
There are moments of utter heartbreak, as well as t he odd one- l i ner that pops up about as satisfyingly and rarely as they do i n real li f e. “The computer’s f rozen,” a helpful youth at t he l i brary tells Blake. “Well can you defrost i t ?” he quips back, grinning. The conversations are presented as vignettes, the black screens between giving us a moment’s rest f rom t he i ncreasingly f rustrating spiral downwards.
Ex stand- up comic Dave Jones is a bold choice f or the l ead role, but shines as the gruff- yetgentle Blake. His thick Geordie accent provides much- needed comedy in t he f ace of crushing bleakness, paired with an i nfectious smile that f ades as the story plays out. I t starts as a borderline comedy of errors as the audience l earns j ust how much admin is i nvolved i n the sli ghtest of i nteractions with t he welfare system. Be i t his poor computer skills or missing an appointment by t wo minutes, t he roll of red tape runs as f ar as the eye can see. When he meets Katie ( Hayley Squires), you realise j ust how easily the cycle of poverty continues on to the next generation.
With the pair coming together to support each other, they form a heart-melting friendship despite their individual horrific circumstances.
Loach creates a world where, despite mouldy tiles, freezing flat sand rubbish bags spilling into hallways, humanity shin es through. While the four wall soft he Job centre office are stark and cold, the generosity of people from complete strangers to security guards suggest that there is hope elsewhere for those in need. If you are lucky enough to not know daily poverty, then this film is essential and eye-opening.
Told bluntly but with the utmost in dignity and empathy. this isa film that has the power to change minds and shift preconceived perceptions. Welcome to New Zealand, Daniel Blake, you couldn’t have come at a better time.