The Breadwinner

This is a film that tells the story of a daughter forced by the circumstances of her world to hide her identity and protect her family from starvation after her father is wrongfully imprisoned. Having said that, this film is beautiful and uplifting. I would definitely recommend this film for young adults on up.

This story shows the effects of war, fundamentalist religion and poverty and how it affects a Muslim family living in Kabul. It is a more honest depiction of Afghani culture than many purely adult films as it has many aspects they don't contain, as it was made to also appeal to children (the violence is all implied, but never shown).

This is a great family film - I watched this with my girlfriend who has had little to no exposure to Middle Eastern culture or Islamic culture. She asked "Do you think this is an accurate depiction of this culture" and I responded: "for some people - families like this, yes". This is a film that talks about the struggles of these places without it being from an American or European viewpoint (as is often the case in the last decade), but it WILL appeal to people from American and Europe as the messages are about a struggle for survival, freedom from oppression and the journey of childhood through uncertain times.

This is by far the best Animated film coming from North America in 2017. Adults will be able to connec the dots here to see the connections to modern politics and current events in the last 20 years.

This is the kind of film that should be celebrated on account of its various political stands all the while presenting a disillusioned tale of the life especially for women and children in an oppressive society that has been shaped not only due to an idiosyncratic yet terrifying form of fundamentalist religion but also because of the continuous warfare of the Afghan region that always treat them as collateral damage. In a lot of fields, this film surpasses a lot of other films that are being celebrated in 2017 for exactly those fields.

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.

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

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