Ken Loach’s new film I, Daniel Blake tells the story of
Daniel (Dave Johns), an older man struggling to claim his unemployment
allowance after a heart attack puts him out of work. While on paper this sounds
like a rather straightforward dramatic story, Mr. Loach’s brilliant script and
no-frills direction elevate it to be a truly inspiring emotional experience.
When you go to see a big 3D blockbuster, for example, the visuals pull you in
and overwhelm you. You reach out and become a part of the spectacle. With I,
Daniel Blake, it’s the emotional power behind the purely human story
you’re watching that grips you just as hard. You want to reach out and engage
in the humanity of the scenes you’re watching. In the simplest terms, I,
Daniel Blake is emotional 3D.
The film follows Daniel and his struggle, pulling relatable
humor from his repeated attempts to follow the rules and fill out the right
form, or wait in the right line, or call the right number. Like a stand-up comedy
act, Blake
finds relatable little things to chuckle at in the universal annoyances
we’ve all faced when seeking help: the annoying music they play when you’re on
hold on a phone call or the endless questionnaires in emergency waiting rooms.
Though Daniel is increasingly worn down by the seemingly endless red tape he has
to go around to get the help he needs, his humor, compassion, and optimism
never die. It is this grounded and lovely display of the human spirit that make
the film so inspiring.
The story is told in a grounded, ambling sort of way. There
isn’t so much a conventional “plot” as there is a series of events that occur
in the life of this unextraordinary man. We see his interactions with his young
neighbors, and the cross-generational friendship he’s formed with them, despite
their annoying-neighbor habits of ordering packages to his address, or letting
their garbage pile up outside. We join him as he learns how to finally use a
computer, laughing with him, never at him as he struggles to process the
rapidly advancing technological world. We see the friendships he’s formed with
virtual strangers, office workers, and homeless people on the sidewalk beside
him. While this is all as mundane as it sounds, it’s also never boring, which
is part of the film’s brilliance. These casual, simple connections between people
have such a quietly beautiful quality to them, and I, Daniel Blake celebrates
this full force. In this sense it reminded me of Jim Jarmusch’s Paterson,
a similarly realistic meditation on the beauty of everyday life that blew me
away last year. Obviously, both films do take some steps to simplify the world
for the sake of accurately dramatizing this sort of average life experience,
but the emotional realism in both cases is not the least bit compromised.
The most poignant aspect of the film, however, has to be the
unusual friendship formed between Daniel and struggling single mother Katie (Hayley
Squires) and her two children. There is such a deep and genuine love and compassion
that these characters all display to each other at a moment in their lives where
they truly need it the most. Loach is careful in his portrayal of these people to
never become exploitative of the inherent dramatic intensity of their troubles.
They are presented as fully realized people, suffering under conditions outside
of their control, who care for each other more than words can say. What was
most fascinating to me about the film was that while the heavy and tragic
moments these characters experience are truly heartbreaking and powerful, it
was the quiet moments of tenderness between this unconventional family that had
me close to tears. This movie excellently dramatizes what it is to love
unconditionally, and it is truly touching.
Ultimately though, I, Daniel Blake is a political film.
It has something to say about the flaws in government aid programs and the
societal prejudice faced by those who need it. While it is specifically
commenting on the nature of these systems in its native UK, the broad strokes
point it makes is universally accessible and well-articulated. That is to say
it will leave audiences debating and questioning where they sit on the
controversial topic. The brilliance in this, however, once again lies in the
purely human nature of the film and its protagonist. Over the course of the
movie, you grow to love Daniel just as much as his community does. He grows to
care for Katie and want what’s best for her and her children. Your heart is so
warmed by the time the film starts making its statement that it could quite
honestly talk about any controversial topic it wanted to and audiences would
still be on board. Coupling that with the film’s respectful portrayal of the
suffering caused by the issue, and you’re left with a very heartfelt spotlight
on a troubling topic as opposed to a propaganda piece.
Overall, I, Daniel Blake is an utterly
beautiful experience. Its writing, acting, direction and message are all
expertly handled, with an infectious heart and humor that make it truly stand
out.
4.5 out of 5
