I, Daniel Blake
The movie centers on Daniel Blake (Dave Johns), a 59-year-old widowed carpenter who must struggle to navigate the bureaucracy of the British benefits system after an injury leaves him unable to work.
31 January 1991, York, Yorkshire, England, UK
15 July 1966, Durham, County Durham, England, UK
February 18, 2017
I, Daniel Blake is passionate filmmaking to its very core, as well as the rare art house effort that could stand a chance with mainstream audiences.
May 04, 2017
A film of empathy, grace and wit that goes a long way to explaining the populist anger so emblematic of these times.
January 05, 2017
Loach's film isn't as stridently political as it probably sounds. These are just proud people who want to be treated with respect.
February 17, 2017
Told bluntly but with the utmost in dignity and empathy, this is a film that has the power to change minds and shift preconceived perceptions.
May 04, 2017
Sounds a bit dry? I, Daniel Blake is anything but, British humour being the indefatigable thing that it is, especially the finely tuned sarcasm of the eternally depressed north.
May 04, 2017
Utimately this political film's sentimentality and transparency detract from its power.
February 09, 2017
There's a heightened edge to I, Daniel Blake, an embittered streak of comedy that keeps the otherwise miserable plot from weighing too heavily.
May 04, 2017
It will touch all but the most hard-hearted; in fact, I dare you to remain unmoved by its emotional finale.
February 09, 2017
Loach's downtrodden heroes usually find some way to sustain hope, in family or in humor, in individual ingenuity or collective kindness. But this time, the filmmaker's own anger at systemic, interminable inequities threatens to overcome his optimism.
January 06, 2017
This new Ken Loach landmark sums up everything that has kept his muckraking motor running for decades. An old-school social realist, the 80-year-old filmmaker again speaks up for the exploited lower classes,
February 10, 2017
An emotionally powerful dissection of a nightmarish system tips into unnecessary polemic, falling short of the state of a nation piece it could have been.
January 06, 2017
In the end, the title, seemingly unremarkable, reveals itself as especially poignant. Daniel is crying out for recognition as an "I" -- even if he can't contribute, even if he needs help for a while.
