I, Daniel Blake (2016)

	Directed by: Ken Loach	COUNTRY United Kingdom GENRE Drama NORWEGIAN TITLE Jeg, Daniel Blake RUNNING TIME 100 minutes
	Produced by: Rebecca O'Brien
	Written by: Paul Laverty

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Daniel Blake	Dave Johns	½
Katie Morgan	Heyley Squires	½
Daisy Morgan	Briana Shann	-
Dylan Morgan	Dylan McKiernan	-
Ann	Kate Rutter	½
Sheila	Sharon Percy	-

Review

Ken Loach is not happy with the British welfare system, and in his Palme d'Or-winning film I, Daniel Blake, he sheds light on a particular fallacy affecting people who have been declared "unfit for work" by health professionals and yet are still forced to seek new employment in order to receive their benefits. Loach's instrument for this social criticism is the title character (Dave Johns), a recently widowed, 59-year-old joiner from Newcastle who finds himself in this situation after suffering a heart attack. He is also "non-digital", meaning that he has no experience with the new online-based solutions that have become the default for all government systems. As usual, Loach addresses important issues and makes strong arguments. And he does it through well-written, sympathetic characters and the occasional whiff of comedy, even if I, Daniel Blake at times becomes too meandering and longwinded on its way to some obvious conclusions. Dave Johns' lead performance isn't wholly convincing, though he exudes the right working-class aura.