I, Daniel Blake (****1/2)

I, DANIEL BLAKE is a beautiful peek into the world of people we identify with. They're decent folks trying to make it through each day, even though it might mean going to bed on an empty stomach. Ken Loach's film explores not just the injustices done amongst the lower class but also the realities of such a situation. It's a story that is sad, maybe depressing, but overall a very human experience.

It's a small town in northern England and the struggle to find work is a major factor for its citizens. One such man is Daniel Blake, a recent widower who has lost his pension after experiencing a heart attack. His doctor advises that he doesn't work for several months yet, and still the government insists that he search for a job in order to continue being given benefits. We can fill in the blanks when figuring out who Mr Blake is. He is inept at computer usage, spends long hours on wait when making phone calls, complains about the neighbor's garbage, and spends his time alone. For someone else, this would be the new norm. For Daniel, this is a new world in which the elderly are at a distinct disadvantage.

Meanwhile we get to know Katie, a single mom who has been placed in government housing after living homeless for many years. She is a person who has also been forgotten; lost in a new town and searching for work, she skips meals in order to provide the best for her children. We know she is poor and in a constant struggle, but when her daughter whispers that she has been bullied for having broken shoes, Katie assures her that getting a new pair will be no problem.

Both Katie and Daniel meet and form a kinship in an employment office. Daniel sees a woman down on her luck who needs a simple boost of assurance. For Katie, he might be a godsend. Daniel helps fix her house, adjust the heat, build a bookshelf, decorate the kids' rooms. This isn't a relationship that forms into a romance, nor is it something that becomes a friendship. The two share a common struggle. Helping each other out is the only decent thing to do.

Ken Loach, the director, builds a story that is concise in it's message. The distain for government is hard-edged. The politics are clearly drawn. The final few scenes shows the breaking point in which Daniel Blake graffitis a message of distain on the side of a building. He's taken to prison and yet charged with no crime. He's not a criminal after all, and his motives are understandable. The film ends in a single scene in which Katie recites a letter written by Daniel. The film quickly fades to black and we expect another scene to start. That's it. We are disappointed by the ending, knowing in real life such a story would also face a similar ending. I applaud this film for it's peek into the humanity in us all. Everywhere you look it is possible to find people of good character. By the end of the film, Katie surely realizes this. The heartbreak comes not from knowing the movie ends, but that someone like Daniel has no place in this world.