This afternoon we went to see I, Daniel Blake – because every human being in this country should. I cried for several minutes and then couldn’t speak for several more. Leslie Stuart Tate’s response is anger; he says it’s a call to action. This is a compelling, compassionate film that feels unflinchingly real, as if we’re bystanders rather than audience members, and the stunning central performance is anything but actorly. Don’t fear gloom and life-is-shit dysfunctionality. There’s humour, warmth and plenty of tenderness here, and Daniel is a good, gentle man. We owe Ken Loach a debt of gratitude for exposing the truth about a system that’s cruel, corporate and very stupid. We saw the film in a beautiful art deco cinema in a comfortable middle-class town with a Tory MP – and people applauded. Don’t miss it.
Sue Hampton
