In a week when Theresa
May announced that post Brexit cuts will leave those struggling the most even
worse off, I, Daniel Blake’s release
could not be more important. The film that bought Ken Loach out of retirement
is nothing short of a character assassination of the destructive qualities of a
benefits system rendered complex and esoteric by the savagery of the Tory
governments.
I, Daniel Blake does what Loach has always done, which is to show
us who we are. His mastery of the social realism genre means there is nowhere
for us to hide and our own beliefs are revealed as we watch. And, this is not
easy. It is not an easy film to watch, but it is a necessary one. The balance
of hope and despair that runs throughout the film, written beautifully by
Loach’s long time collaborator Paul Laverty, sets us up for what’s to come, but
by no means prepares us. Even for those of us sympathetic and aware of the
issues, the ending has the power to reduce you. The authenticity of the writing
and performances, Dave Johns and Hayley Squires are exceptional, makes I, Daniel Blake impossible to dismiss.
Even if the experiences of the characters are foreign to you, the humanity and
the realism should affect all.
Ken Loach has said in
an interview that if you’re not angry, what’s wrong with you. I, Daniel Blake is an angry film. It
doesn’t shy away from any of the hardships faced by the vulnerable. It exposes
it and it’s difficult, but it’s important. We should all be angry, that in the
UK today this is allowed to happen while government continue to make life
easier for the wealthy. I, Daniel Blake
is a record of today that should become a historical document for the future.
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