I, Daniel Blake 12/17 Blu-ray (Rental)

An urgent response to the political realities of contemporary Britain, this bracing drama from celebrated filmmaker Ken Loach takes a hard look at bureaucratic injustice and ineptitude through the eyes of an unassuming working-class hero. After a heart attack leaves him unable to hold a job, the widowed carpenter Daniel Blake (Dave Johns) begins a long, lonely journey through the Kafka-esque labyrinth of the local welfare state. Along the way, he strikes up a friendship with a single mother (Hayley Squires) and her two children, at the mercy of the same system after being evicted from their home. Imbued with gentle humor and quiet rage and conceived for maximum real-world impact, the Palme d Or winning I, Daniel Blake is a testament to Loach s tireless commitment to a cinema of social engagement. DIRECTOR-APPROVED BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES - New high-definition digital master, supervised by director Ken Loach, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack - Audio commentary from 2016 featuring Loach and screenwriter Paul Laverty - How to Make a Ken Loach Film, a 2016 documentary on the production of I, Daniel Blake, featuring interviews with Loach, Laverty, actors Dave Johns and Hayley Squires, director of photography Robbie Ryan, producer Rebecca O Brien, and casting director Kahleen Crawford - Versus: The Life and Films of Ken Loach, a 93-minute documentary from 2016, directed by Louise Osmond - Deleted scenes - Trailer - PLUS: An essay by critic Girish Shambu