The Breadwinner succeeds mainly when using intertext, as it uses a story to tell another story, which is a successful but difficult method of getting at the truth of the matter.
On its surface it’s too dark a world for children and even for some adults in this story of a girl becoming a boy to become the titular breadwinner of the title in an ironic sense of the term. The animation is surprisingly simple and this element may be the part of the film that surprised the most, as the two teams of animators was a nice idea, but the primary method of drawing feels realized but at times more rudimentary.
As well, its setting influences the music choices by Mychael and Jeff Daena, sweeping the movie even further into the realm of something quite heavy. In fact, the audience should come prepared but also open-minded as there is much to learn and discover from the wondrous film by Nora Twomey. The best way to experience the film is to let its impact settle.
