“I, Daniel Blake” – Ken Loach Knocks it Out of the Park

So, folks, here we go. I’ve just been slapped in the face by Ken Loach’s “I, Daniel Blake.” You know that feeling when you’re halfway through a köttbullar dinner and you remember you’ve left the köttbullar in the oven for too long? Yeah, that’s the emotional punch this film gives.

This gem reminds me of the time I missed the last Stockholm metro because I’d stopped to help a stranger struggling with his cykel. We struck up a conversation about jobs and family, and let me tell you: That raw human connection? It’s all over this film.

Loach, the maestro director behind this work, crafts a reality so gritty, even my gamla mormor would shed a tear. And Dave Johns, I mean, where’s this guy been hiding?! He’s the titular Daniel Blake and he delivers in a way that’s like a stunning game of fotboll — full of passion and surprise.

Then there’s Hayley Squires as Katie, the single mum trying to stay afloat. Her performance makes your heart ache, the way fikabröd makes your stomach rumble when you miss your afternoon fika. Seriously, she’s a revelation.

But! Let me not forget Paul Laverty, Loach’s partner in crime, who penned the script. He captures the bureaucratic madness of the British welfare system with humor and, yes, a bit of sarcasm. The whole thing’s a bit like trying to trudge through Västerbotten cheese. It’s dense, intense, but oddly satisfying.

Still, it’s not all sunshine and daisies. The pacing’s a tad slow in places, like a Sunday walk in the Stockholm archipelago when you’re more in the mood for a brisk jog. But maybe that’s just me.

Give it a whirl. It might just flick a lightbulb on in that noggin of yours about how society treats its own. Plus, chatting with friends over kaffe after might turn into a heated — and enlightening — discussion. Skål!

Check the trailer below