Cartoon Saloon quickly became the toast of the animation industry after their film debut of "The Secret of Kells." I always thought, as beautiful as their films are, they take too much influence in their Irish pride in both story and lore, causing disruptions in logic, making parts of the story seem forced in, and ultimately alienating a greater audience. It's subtle, and I haven't heard any such complaint from anyone else, but it still bothered me. What better solution could there be to solve this dilema than to have Cartoon Saloon produce a film NOT set in Ireland? Perhaps this is my their third film "The Breadwinner" had a little more hype around it early in development. Not to mention that it is based on an existing novel, which happens to be set in topical Afghanistan. And it was also produced in-part by Angelina Jolie. Yes, the famous actress, whom prior never had any tie in the creation of animated works. Curious yet? I'm thankful I got to see "The Breadwinner" relatively early, at the Ottawa International Film Festival just weeks after its international debut in Toronto. And I can say the film more than lives up to the hype. It is a modern classic, a near perfect film, and in 2017, its story is one that everyone should see.I admit that I have been ignorant of global events and history, particularly in the Middle East. Ever since 2001, current news portrayed countries in the area as a home for terrorists. Even when trying to fight this unfortunate stereotype, interviews still made that part of the world seem centuries behind America. Not knowing the fast, high-pitched language, and to see citizens in clothing and appearance so foreign... as much as I tried to sympathize, I must be honest and say attempts of reaching out to the general English-speaking world have been unsuccessful in helping us understand. Rather than wanting to help or asking how we can, I am compelled to look away and pretend nothing is there. Even now, I believe I am not alone in not understanding past or current politics or religion in the area. This is the type of thing films are particularly effective for, but documentaries and dramas are still lacking in some of the same ways. Even in animation, such as critically-acclaimed "Waltz With Bashir" and "Persepolis," it feels preachy, and was still behind a language barrier, as well as a general lack of interest. Few people would be interested to watch such films unless they already had direct ties to the Middle East.This is where "The Breadwinner" effortlessly succeeds. It was primarily animated in the English language for an English audience. While inspired by a real world, it is portrayed with both a beauty and horror that comes across as a fictional dystopian world where women are treated as objects to be owned, like dogs that require a leash. If you dare, you can understand that places really do exist like this, but the film lets you decide if you want to learn more on your own. Otherwise, it tells a perfectly compelling story on its own, a powerful story of strong characters that anyone of any age can be invested in watching. This Irish-Canadian-Luxembourgian co-production is subtle yet moving in exactly the right ways.The press before the film's release was generally coy about what exactly the story is about, only stating that the father of a young girl is unfairly arrested, resulting in her going to "great lengths" to help her family survive. I'll go ahead and spoil it: young Parvana learns that with a haircut and change of clothes, she can come across as a boy. It's a simple change, but the situation is nonetheless eye-opening. The first scene shows an Afghan father teaching her daughter while trying to sell items on the street. The father is patient and loving, brave enough to stand-up for her brash comments to passing Taliban officers despite missing a leg. The officer's comments are harsh, not just asking the father to control his child, but asking why a girl isn't indoors where she belongs. When the father is taken away later, store owners don't dare sell to young Parvana or her older sister or mother, less they be caught and imprissoned for their crime. This is a horrific reality, where if there isn't a male family member available to work and purchase food, the family is expected to starve rather than let indecent women out in public. 
The director is careful to make clear that there ARE good people in this city, perfectly emboddied by the father, the wise old teacher and storyteller. Even when the mother seems to give in too easily to the demands of this society, willing to offer her oldest daughter in marriage for her family's survival, she comes around as a fierce soul that would do anything necessary to protect her family, cultural laws be damned. Even the shopkeepers aren't villians: they simply don't want to get killed by the authorities. As for the Taliban officers, they come across as regular people only doing their jobs, in some scenes even trying to provide what they see as a favor by not killing disobient citizens. The closest thing to a villan in this story is a young man, perhaps still a teenager, who sees himself as a king who must be obeyed simply because he was given a position of authority and allowed to walk with a gun in his hand. While his fate isn't spelled out, we can still guess, and we can simpathize... he is basically just a kid after all. He doesn''t know any better.Even in a world where a girl has to cross-dress to buy food and to find how to release her elderly father from prison, the film manages to find humor and hope. Much in part through a bedtime story Parvana tells her baby brother while her father is gone. The story is told in separate parts throughout the film, acting as both a breather with comic-relief, and as a parallel to the events we see in the 'real' world. All told through a beautiful paper-cut animation style, distinct from the rest of the film. And don't think the film itself is in any way boring to look at: the city is beautiful, from the dusty grounds to the colorful sunset skies. Character design and animation has been a strong point for Cartoon Saloon, and it comes to a head here. The artists went all out to make the film look diverse where possible, while still respecting the world and its characters as people. Acting is strong, thanks in part to the strong characters provided. Everything comes together to provide an magical-yet-grounded experience full of laughter, tears, and most importantly, hope. Before I complained that "The Secret of Kells" and "Song of the Sea" were hampered by unnecessary use of either Irish or fictional lore that seemed out of place, making the stories seem more difficult to accept getting lost in. Does "The Breadwinner" suffer any such weakness in its reliance on a culture or setting. I think not, because in this case, the culture is absolutely necessary; the story is dependent on it. And because there is no real magic at work with the characters, it retains a sense of being grounded in a reality the viewer can understand. I am certain Cartoon Saloon will return to fantasy themes and settings inspired by the studio's home, but I hope that other cultures may also be represented, and that lessons learned from this project will be carried over.I don't remember a film changing the way I view a culture as a whole. I don't know if it can be attributed to a family-friendly story, superb visuals, or the intent from the start to cater to a ignorant English-speaking audience. Or maybe it was simply due to a incredible movie, one that can be enjoyed blindly with or without any thought to the world outside your house. As political climates reach unstable levels in countires across the world, perhaps "The Breadwinner" seems too focused on a single country and comes a bit too late. Even so, I think it is a film everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, should watch at least once. If you see only a single film from the past decade, make it this one.Also, I will briefly mention GKIDS's 2018 home video release: unfortunately, on the Bluray there is noticable color banding because of the detailed tones. On higher-end televisions, this might be less of a concern.