The Breadwinner

Have been a lifelong fan of animation for as long as can be remembered, with Disney and Looney Tunes being my earliest exposures. Loved it from an early age, actually love and appreciate it even more now with broader knowledge and taste, encompassing many directors, animation styles and studios of many countries.

'The Breadwinner' first came to my attention when it was nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar, losing out to Pixar's 'Coco' (another amazing film that is slightly preferred by me). Can totally understand the appeal and award attention with it being one of the most deserving nominees in generally one of recent years' better award seasons, 'The Breadwinner' is a stunning and truly accomplished film, so much more than entertainment. It is one of the year's most emotional and unique films and no other film has moved me as much as 'The Breadwinner' did in some time now.

For one thing, 'The Breadwinner' looks stunning. Being rich in detail and atmospheric, as well as beautifully drawn. The ambient sound has much authenticity, which thrills and makes one feel they are there in the setting without being intrusive. The writing is genuine and sincere, like the rest of the film, with an unfussy and never dumbed down or preachy approach to facing harsh realities and adversity in a way that feels realistic.

Loved the storytelling and really along with the emotion it is 'The Breadwinner's' biggest strengths. It is always captivating, has a lot of emotional impact, made me feel and has something that not many films this year had, soul.

It tackles serious and heavy themes that one does not usually see in an animated film and deals with them gently and sincerely yet with full impact. It is intelligent and in some ways educational, and what could have easily been heavy-handed isn't (especially the political element). The characterisation has depth and interest, with a lead character that is instantly relatable due to her spirit, innocence and willpower. The voices also endear and the ending compels.

In summary, simply fantastic and a must watch. 10/10 Bethany Cox

This movie gets a perfect score for me, but it's not for everyone.

Recently I saw many movies and even animated movies. But they were all made to impress in cheap ways such as huge stakes, awesome CGI and well known actors. The Breadwinner for me does so much more with so much less.

This movie however is about characters you wouldn't normally care about. About a story so far from your living room that you wont bother to check. And yet, this is why it touched me. It's a realistic take of a distant world. The characters and situations are as down to earth as possible, even compared to live action movies. The soul this movie has, with the small stakes of a poor family and even how a girl copes with the loss of her brother, is what most directors and writers fail to deliver. The movie gives many cultural elements of how an Afgan family lives, how men differ from women and how the whole city works.

I had to check and see if everything depicted in the movie was real in some way. This was a fictional story but so well crafted that left me stunned. I thought it could be a biography like the 10 year old cartoon movie Persepolis (which has similar style and setting) but it's not.

The description of this movie "an 11-year-old girl who cuts off her hair and dresses like a boy to support her family", put me off at first because it reminded me of Mulan. This may not be a blockbuster but it is a superior film made by a smaller company.

Cartoon Saloon shows us a moving story in Afghanistan; the plot is good, the characters are charismatic, the animation is excellent and the soundtrack is very good; I highly recommend it.

The beauty about discovering independent animated films outside of America is that you discover gems that could never be made here. In the case of today's film, it comes from the Irish studio Cartoon Saloon, known for making The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea. Although the film did go under the radar outside of getting an Oscar nom and premiering at TIFF in 2017, it's still regarded as a beloved feature amongst critics and film fans. What could have easily been done in live-action ends up working well in the other medium to really bring to life the turmoil in Afghanistan through pure artistry.

The Breadwinner focuses on a little girl named Parvana who lives under the Taliban rule in Afghanistan. After her father is arrested without charge, Parvana disguises herself as a boy to support her family, whilst working alongside a friend of hers named Shauzia. As a lead, Parvana helps drive the film forward so she can save her loved ones, and the stakes that come from living in such an oppressive country make us sympathize with her. That being said, there is a sense of optimism displayed through both her and Shauzia, as they cleverly trick the hierarchy who view them as boys. It's also neat how the filmmakers made Parvana feel relatable by displaying her home life that shows as many sibling rivalries and issues as the average family.

It's neat how even though the film details many hardships, it also has several moments of sweetness and levity. The film sporadically showcases a story told by Parvana that ends up connecting to all the events happening to her, and it does it in a way where we want to know how it all ends. In terms of dark content, the film does not shy away from displaying the violence, evil from the order and even bits of war to heighten up Parvana's desperation and risk taking. However, there are still moments of soothing relaxation, especially whenever Parvana tells her story, allowing the viewers to digest the severely tense moments. While they can interrupt the main narrative's flow sometimes, it's still cool to see the contrast between the harsh reality and uplifting fantasy displayed in this film.

Cartoon Saloon outdid themselves with their previous features in terms of animation, and this film is no exception. The overall Middle-eastern inspired designs of the film create a very stylish and angular hand-drawn feel that's become so rare to find nowadays. In addition, another notable contrast is how the film emulates reality in Parvana's state of being. In contrast, the stories she tells are presented in a more abstract and storybook illustrative aesthetic that gives one the impression they are viewing an ancient narrative. Where the real world is murky, grainy and filled with bright lights and grim shadows, the surreal worlds of the story display a very versatile amount of colors, designs and characters to utilize the much needed creativity from a storyteller.

Although by no means a happy go lucky film, The Breadwinner succeeds very well in telling a narrative through the harsh realities of growing up in a dangerous country filled with oppression and prejudice. If you haven't seen this film yet, definitely check it out. It works as a story of feminism, it works as a blend of differing mediums shown throughout different states of reality, and it especially works as a biting tale on surviving in a country filled with tyrannical cruelty. This is the kind of underrated gem that demands a larger audience, so it can go on to become a cult classic and then a beloved film by more than just animation buffs. If Cartoon Saloon keeps pushing themselves to making more unique and great content like this, I think they're in for a wonderful future.

In the Taliban-controlled city of Kabul, Afghanistan in the early 2000s, Parvana (voiced by Saara Chaudry) is a pre-teen girl who must disguise herself as a boy in order to earn money for her family. As females are forbidden to appear in public without an adult male, she must also shop for the family as well.

"The Breadwinner" is an animated film co-produced by Canada, Ireland, and Luxembourg and is in the English language.

The story (from the book by Deborah Ellis) can be highly praised for focusing on Parvana's struggles while also involving related subplots that add richly to the story without ever creating the feeling of overwhelm or confusion. The most fascinating is one that begins as Parvana (as a boy) is approached by an illiterate man who needs to have a letter read to him.

This film pulls no punches in the injustice against females by Taliban zealots. One of the ways this is exposed is when Parvana walks outside for the first time dressed as a boy and the viewer can easily sense her great feeling of freedom.

Two other strengths add to the greatness of this movie. One is unexpected humour. It truly works despite the grim situation overall and is neither facetious nor unbelievable. The other is the beautiful visuals in the animation. This is especially apparent in a parallel mythical story - one that matches the main narrative - which Parvana narrates to her baby brother.

The finale is open-ended leaving the viewer wondering what will happen to Parvana and her family. It's a rather perfect ending as it gives us just the right amount of information for us to imagine in different ways what could happen next.

Make no mistake: "The Breadwinner" is a winner in many ways. - dbamateurcritic