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I, Daniel Blake begins with the 59-year-old carpenter titular character, portrayed by comedian Dave Johns, applying for ESA (Employment and Support Allowance), and being asked a succession of – irrelevant, to him – questions when he just wants to discuss the heart attack that’s led to his doctor signing him off from work until he recovers, such as “Can you walk 50 yards?”, “Can you raise your arms and reach something from your top pocket?”, then another about his fingers, moving onto intimate details about his bowel movements, leading Daniel to retort: “Now, please, can we talk aboot me heart, forget aboot me arse, that works a dream.”
A testament to the genius of director Ken Loach is that – following the usual distributor logos, which mostly played out in silence, and led me to wonder if the sound was working – you’re drawn into this scene with the screen remaining entirely black, save for some perfunctory opening credits. And while you couldn’t actually see anything, there were a number of laughs in this opening scene which grabbed the audience from the off.
However, despite the title, it’s not just about Daniel, but also about Katie (Hayley Squires), a young mother of two from London, who has spent the last two years in homeless shelters and has now been relocated to a rundown flat in Tyneside. Like anyone in this situation, it’s going to take a while to get your bearings, so when she gets a bus going the wrong way to the Jobcentre, only to arrive late and not being allowed to sign on with no-one listening to her, a chance encounter with Daniel, who stands up for her, speaks a huge amount of common sense, but both their protestations lead them to being thrown out with nothing gained. This is what forms an unlikely friendship in a film which highlights just how disconnected we’ve come from reality where we’ve lost touch with even just talking to some of our neighbours, as shown in a brief scene where Daniel makes his voice heard about a man letting his dog foul the grass outside his apartment, which results in a reply containing a volley of abuse and strong language.
When this film was shown on BBC News’ Film Review with Mark Kermode, after Katie’s told to leave the Jobcentre and Daniel steps in, news anchor Gavin Esler said: “HE’S the decision-maker!” Hence, I can spot a new movie franchise – The Decision-Maker! Coming to an IMAX screen near you from Christmas 2017. (Cue shot of a baddie cowering, begging not to be executed). Daniel: “Appeal dismissed!” (BANG!)
(Note: This picture is taken by me with my phone – it’s not representative of the disc’s quality)
With Daniel getting beaten down by the system – for example in having to claim JSA (Jobseekers Allowance) while appealing against the ESA decision, leading to having to apply for jobs when his doctor has told him he’s not allowed to work, it brings together a great number of challenges thrown at Daniel that one might come across, from making sense of the jargon used without explanation, through having to make an online benefit application when he’s never used a computer before, leading to a number of problems, such as when he books an hour in the library, and is told to “run his mouse up the screen”, leading to him physically moving the mouse onto the screen; and also when the machine freezes, and he replies, “Well, how do you defrost it?”
Like any organisation, there are some people who are caring, and some who are far from it, and this film shows both extremes. There were a few little things that didn’t quite sit right, such as when he has to prove his advisor that he’s been looking for work and is told that a list of the jobs on their own is not proof enough – since he wasn’t told he had to obtain a receipt every time he handed his CV to a potential employer. I had to apply for JSA a few years ago, and a list of the jobs I’d applied for was fine – maybe some of those situations have changed since, but despite that, there’s a lot that will resonate with a lot of people. I’ve seen Dave Johns say in a couple of interviews that we could all be three paycheques away from poverty if our fortunes turn, so as the film speaks to everyone, and since we could all become Daniel Blake, everyone should see it.
There’s also a scene in a foodbank, which was particularly harrowing when I expected it to go one way, and it went another. Foodbanks are demeaning enough in that society has broken down to the point where they are required in the modern age, but at the point where a key moment happens (which I won’t divulge here), the performance Hayley Squires just struck me down and brought tears to my eyes. Credit also goes to the way Ken Loach works, in that, the content of this particular moment was only divulged to Ms Squires and a few members of the crew, so that allows everyone else to react naturally around her and the situation, and THAT is what makes a compelling scene.
Of course, it’s not just the Tories that are to blame, but a succession of governments where the politicians care more about themselves than the people they represent. Look at Tony Blair, for example. After 18 years of Tory rule, he took over with D:Ream’s No.1 song, promising “Things Can Only Get Better”. And they did. For him. After ten years in office, he had seven houses, more money than God (even though he doesn’t ‘do’ God), and after helping George W Bush to blow up tens of thousands of innocent civilians in Iraq, he’s now Middle East Peace Envoy(!) Even Tom Cruise would dismiss that as a plot point for Jack Reacher 3.
Go to page 2 for more thoughts on the film, plus the presentation, extras and interviews on Channel 4 News and at the Locarno International Film Festival.
“Benefit system let down the ordinary people” – The Upcoming
I, Daniel Blake features superb performances from Dave 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!
Even four months on after the cinema release, the film is even more relevant than ever and it’s had a clutch of awards and nominations including the British Independent Film Awards’ Best Actor for Dave Johns, the Most Promising Newcomer for Hayley Squires, the best British film at the BAFTAs 2017 and also a Best Actress nomination for Ms Squires.
The film is presented in the original 1.85:1 widescreen ratio and in 1080p high definition and, since it’s a new film and even though it was shot on 35mm for the realistic feel and bringing every element of that home to the viewer, the visuals are stunning and there are zero defects on this disc.
The audio is presented in DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 and there’s very little in the way of a score – mostly focusing on dialogue and letting the situations speak for themselves, which is deliberate, since this is a strong drama, not La La Land.
There aren’t a huge amount of extras, but what there is on this disc is certainly worth a watch:
- How To Make a Ken Loach Film (38:05): A superb ‘making of’ mixing film clips and on-set footage, so expect some spoilers and DO NOT WATCH BEFORE YOU SEE THE FILM! (but DO watch once you have)
There’s also cast from the two leads plus writer Paul Laverty and a number of other crew including producer Rebecca O’Brien and casting agent Kahleen Crawford, and it begins by using a lot of extras to shoot the queue for the foodbank, and telling them it would take three hours, with Ken Loach adding, “If we seem to be hanging around, doing nothing.. because inside, we’re panicking(!)” 🙂
There’s location scouting with the director getting to the root of the issue with, “Some of the most vulnerable people were single men living by themselves – they’re deemed not to be in great need.”
We see the unconventional casting process, plus choosing outfits, even right down to his watch and whether or Daniel would still wear a wedding ring, two years after being widowed.
Plus, there’s the initial auditions with Dave Johns, the moment where he’s told over the phone that he’s got the main part, as well as Mr Loach’s acceptance speech at Cannes where it won the Palme D’or, and you can see how a number of Hollywood stars such as Donald Sutherland and Mads Mikkelsen are transfixed by his every word.
- Deleted Scenes (7:38): Seven of them, here. None particularly need to be put back in order to add to the film, but they’re all well worth a look, especially the last one which I would add back in for some additional humour. All I’ll say is that Daniel Blake gets a lift home in a police car… but why? Well, you’ll have to watch to find out.
- Audio commentary: with director Ken Loach and writer Paul Laverty.
The menu shows Dave Johns sat outside the jobcentre after daubing his specific words on the side, whilst a brief piece of traffic noise plays out in the background. There are 16 chapters, subtitles in English, and also some trailers for other films before the main menu but I’m not listing those here as that’s what the extras menu is for.
Below, you can see Ken Loach’s Channel 4 News interview, made 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.
And what if a sequel to this film also saw a battle with Godzilla? It could happen…
Finally, after watching this, 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 released tomorrow on Blu-ray and DVD, and click on the packshot for the full-size version.
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FILM CONTENT PICTURE QUALITY SOUND QUALITY EXTRAS |
9 10 7 3 |
| OVERALL | 7 |
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 100 minutes
Year: 2016
Cat.no.: EO52087BRR0
Released: February 27th 2017
Studio: Entertainment One
Chapters: 16
Picture: 1080p High Definition
Sound: DTS HD Master Audio 5.1, DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1
Languages: English
Subtitles: English
Widescreen: 1.85:1 (35mm)
Disc Format: BD50
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.
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