What to Watch: Breadwinner’s next-level daddy daycare

It's a good-to-go and easily digestible film that entertains. Imagine one long succession of dad jokes that’s actually damn funny. It’s next-level daddy daycare. Netflix’s Breadwinner is that kind of movie. It’s somewhat dry, somewhat bitter and unlike the beer commercial, super sweet. The flick’s the perfect couch-and-popcorn Saturday night movie watch for the whole family, especially when summer rugby’s on a pause. The Breadwinner turns the familiar family comedy on its head. Think Modern Family, but reverse-engineered so the perfect picture becomes a bit blurry. Then, add a soupcon of oldie Three Men and a Baby into the mix, and you’ve got this movie sussed. It’s not demanding, it’s not preachy; it’s just like a lekker cheeseburger with all the right toppings in the right quantities. And there’s no aftertaste, though the film places lead character Nate in a few pickles. Nate’s married to Katie Wilcox, an inventive mom who seems able to keep a busy household running without breaking a sweat. But then she suddenly gets her big break. Her Star Minder, a tool designed to help children track their chores, lands her a major deal on Shark Tank and sends her on an extended business trip. That leaves Nate, a car salesman who never wins the salesman of the year award, in charge of their three young daughters, the house, and everything Katie previously made look ridiculously easy. Predictably, Nate soon discovers that being the stay-at-home parent is considerably more complicated than he imagined. And that’s where the fun starts. Watch the trailer Comedian Nate Bargatze debuts his long-form career as Nate, with Mandy Moore playing his better half. The humour is somewhat understated and quite bewildering at times. Do not miss the exceptionally dry supermarket scene where Nate stands before the milk and eggs, as confused as many guys who never shop could possibly be. It almost has a rewind-and-watch-again munchiness to it. Add to that the relentless missioning parenting brings and Generation Alpha kids with minds of their own. It’s a crash course in domestic life for Nate, who wasn’t even sure where his kids went to school. It is just hilarious. And it’s thankfully not slapstick. Of course, there is an aaaaaw moment. This, when Nate finally has the realisation that he doesn’t have to replicate Natalie’s style of parenting but rather develop and discover his own. But that dawning of wisdom quickly reverses and hits the trash can, because trying to have the best of all worlds- working, parenting, chores and some kind of balance- quickly leads the family into yet another disastrous sequence of events. It’s a succession of hilarious dad jokes Funny as it is, it also makes a point about working moms and if you read between the lines, the respect that juggling a family and a career should receive. Also, of course, the notion that splitting chores and responsibilities around the house may be a good idea. That last bit is my take, not something the movie spells out. Instead, the Willcox house ends up as a bit of a war zone-looking apocalypse. It’s all part of the funny and the heart that gives the movie its warmth. Nightmare on aisle 6? Picture Supplied One seriously annoying aspect of this otherwise great piece of entertainment. It’s the shameless branding across almost every scene. From being a Toyota salesman through to almost every bit of saleable real estate in the feature, there are brands everywhere. Sure, it may have helped fund the production, but Breadwinner places it front and centre, woven into the action, so to speak. Yet, it feels a bit too forced. Beyond that, there are no other buts to the movie. It’s a good-to-go and easily digestible film that entertains. A dad joke that does not lose its vitality, because so much of it is relatable. Loved it.