ockiemilkwood Got misty-eyed and heart-sore. Movie was very good at pulling at my heartstrings. But then, when it was over, when I had time to reflect and collect myself, I realized I had been used, abused and manipulated by a shrewd, Marxist ideologue, Ken Loach, the Roach. Daniel Blake was not a doomed loser. He had marketable skills, which should have given him the ability to determine his own future and independence. In the US he wouldn't have been at the mercy of the grim, grey UK welfare state. In the US he could have made a living with his hands, by being a self-employed fix-it man and/or craftsman of furniture and wood mobiles. He could have set up shop in his garage, not been buried under forms and denied his dignity. He might have listened to Merle Haggard or Lynyrd Skynyrd, not some doomy, gloomy crap on a cassette. No such optimism, individualism or self-reliance is allowed under the Queen or House of Lords, according to Commie Ken. Roach Loach is the problem, not the solution. He is the cause of human misery, not its cure. His far-left Marxism crushes the human spirit and makes us all victims, not heroes. When will we learn? His socialist ideology has failed over and over throughout the 20th century (USSR, China, Cuba, Venezuela, ad nauseam.) The answer is not reform of the welfare state, but its abolition. The answer is to empower humans, not enslave them to government. The sun has set on the British Empire. It deserves no pity, just contempt.

rebeccalucy A good look into the benefits system in place in England, and the sometimes unjust way it goes about helping people. However, it can be a little stereotypical in its view, with many being either extremely cruel or nice. There is no in between. The editing and cinematography are decent, as it uses social realist techniques. It really reflects the story and allows for the story to take centre stage. Most of the actors are quite good, and manage to give heartbreaking performances. Definitely worth a look!

Bryan Kluger For more than 50 years, Ken Loach (KES) has been making films that cause us to think about our current political and social climates, no matter what race your are or where you come from, because a lot of us suffer from the same overall issues, whether it be medically, financially, or a corrupt government. Loach has never been shy to show any of these topics in his films over the years as well as in real life interviews. If you've ever attended a screening a film festival or movie where Loach is the director behind the movie, you will immediately know what you're in for, which is usually a story of someone being beat by the system, despite all of the honest and good things they do. His film I, Daniel Blake is no different, which isn't a bad thing. It's won a ton of awards and even won the Palme d'Or award at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. The movie follows a fifty-something man named Daniel Blake who is a skilled carpenter, but is out of work due to having a heart attack. After his recovery, his doctors say he is not ready to go back to work yet, but the job assessment people say otherwise. This puts Daniel in a bad situation as employers won't hire him, because his doctors say he's unfit, but others have checked him as cleared, which leads to Daniel not getting a job and zero government assistance due to a clerical error.As he tries to fix this situation, Loach shows us the frustrating and sometimes funny series of events in trying to fix a bureaucratic mishap by being put on hold for hours on end or someone who is up there in years, trying to work a computer. After the few laughs, it really hits home as the underlying message is that we now live in a time where people are not cared for or listened to, but rather treated as cattle with no purpose. It's a system designed to leave behind the less than fortunate, but honest people. Along the way though, Daniel meets a nice woman named Katie, who has moved from here home with her kids, but is not in a good situation financially or even job-wise.Still, she does what it takes to feed her kids, even if it means she starves for days on end or has to take on other forms of employment that might be illegal. It's here that we see that despite the rough situations that both Daniel and Katie are in, they are still good human beings and help each other out when they can, because the system certainly won't. As with most Loach films, things aren't exactly happy and good feelings. What he does well here is show very realistic characters in very subtle ways with their actions and dialogue.I, Daniel Blake is a fantastic film that flows well with some truly solid performances. It not only shows certain aspects of everyday life perfectly, but also makes them relevant an connects us to one another. There are moments where things can be a bit preachy and could wander into cliche territory, but it doesn't kill the film, due to the simplistic nature and heart warming characters that are on screen. No matter how much social or political is thrown out here, the film is still a great work of art.

pageyjjj This dark comedy's Daniel Blake plays the fool lost in the socialist world of the present day U.K.. Of limited intellect but a good heart, Daniel navigates the intricacies of the nanny state with little success. Ken Loach presents visible minorities as the entrepreneurial answer to an otherwise dystopian future. Will you be rolling in the aisles? Only if you can laugh at stereotypes presented by this auteur.