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I, Daniel Blake features superb performances from Davey Johns and Hayley Squires, but nothing quite compared to another comedian, Gavin Webster, in the sawmill when he produced an impressive length of wood 😛
Seriously, though, after watching this, I recalled the moment, When on an ‘improve your CV’-type course, he’s told he should stand out from the crowd – and how he does!
And another moment that made me laugh.. is one I’ll have to put behind a spoiler header
There hasn’t been a single other film other than I, Daniel Blake, that I’ve been looking forward to more this year. After hearing so much about it, plus missing out on one of the free Cineworld screenings prior to its release, I approached the PR company to ask if, like some do for low-budget films – and something which I hope increases as streaming becomes more the norm for TV shows and movies, they had a press link available to review purposes, but until the ‘no’ came through, getting an answer out of them about this British film was as much a task as Daniel getting to the point where his ESA appeal was being heard. Hence, I felt like everyone else had already seen it before I did.
In addition, the film won the 2016 Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or, and after both Dave Johns and Ken Loach went to this year’s Locarno International Film Festival, where the film was shown outside to an audience of over 800 people, and on a 1.85:1 ratio screen where the dimensions are as huge as the 1.85:1 area within the Manchester Printworks IMAX 1.44:1 screen, while following Dave’s promotional tour of the film on Facebook, I was hugely pleased to learn that they had to stay an extra night because… it won the award which is chosen by the audience – the Prix du public!
I was disappointed that the Trafford Centre Odeon are showing it only in one screen – and a small one at that, but there have been a number of films over the years where word of mouth spreads, and the number of screens INCREASES week by week rather than decreases. One of the best examples I can think of, in terms of an increase in reach, was when the BBC showed the TV movie Cold Comfort Farm on January 1st 1995, and then it went on to get a cinema airing not only over here but in the US. All that said, it was a lot busier than I was expecting, although I got in for a good seat before most other people did, and Odeon’s site confirms they’re adding more cinemas showing it on October 28th and November 4th, but as of yet, it’s crazily slim pickings for Cineworld and Vue.
I just wish the Odeon had a poster showing for the film somewhere, so I could’ve had a fist-raised picture taken.
And I’m not sure what the budget is of IDB, but while this room was busy, compare this to when I went to see Independence Day: Resurgence, also on its opening day, that time at Vue Lowry. A budget of $165m, and a total audience of… er… me!
Below, you can see Ken Loach’s recent Channel 4 News interview, taking place the day before cinema release, where he appeared opposite Tory MP Kwasi Kwarteng. I loved seeing Mr Loach stand his ground while the MP tried to bluff and bluster his way through, Ken directly and confidently batting back every serve.
Finally, after watching this film, it made me think there’s definitely a film that needs to be made about the British police, exposing what a complete farce they are, and following a situation that happened to me, I sketched out a basic screenplay for it which could easily fit into a film of similar length, and also with a story so strong that it would turn your shit white. I hope I get to make that a reality, one day.
I, Daniel Blake is available to pre-order on Blu-ray and DVD, with the release date yet to be confirmed. Also, click on the poster for the full-size version.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 100 minutes
Studio: Entertainment One
Cinema: Odeon, Trafford Centre
Year: 2016
Format: 1.85:1 (35mm)
Released: October 21st 2016
Rating: 9/10
Director: Ken Loach
Producer: Rebecca O’Brien
Screenplay: Paul Laverty
Music: George Fenton
Cast:
Daniel: Dave Johns
Katie: Hayley Squires
Sheila: Sharon Percy
Daisy: Briana Shann
Dylan: Dylan McKiernan
China: Kema Sikazwe
Joe: Gavin Webster
Employment Support Allowance Assessor: Natalie Ann Jamieson
Appeal Receptionist: Harriet Ghost
Furniture Dealer: Stephen Halliday
Police Officer: Bryn Jones
Police Officer: Helen Dixon
Woman of the House: Viktoria Kay
Welfare Benefits Advisor: Mick Laffey
Ivan: Micky McGregor
Job seeker: Mark Burns
Postman: Colin Coombs
Telephone Benefits Advisor: David Murray
Call Centre Advisor: Laura Jane Barnes-Martin
Madam: Julie Nicholson
CV Manager: John Sumner
Shopper: James Hepworth (uncredited)
Man In Food Bank: Rob Kirtley (uncredited)
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.