Review of Pure (2014) by Shannyn A — 09 Sep 2010

I have been waiting to find a movie to write about that finally caught my eye as being really special and unique. "Pure" is just that movie and more. The premise of the film is the story of a 10 year old english child who cares for his heroine addicted mother, and unknowingly even helps shoot up her "medication" for her. When the child finally starts realizing the mother he loves so much is a junkie and how much he has been supporting her addiction, his and the lives of his family are turned upside down in an instant. As the family struggles with the mothers addiction, can they reclaim the love and bond they had before?

This a British/foreign flick that was directed by Gillies MacKinnon. I havent seen any of his other films but he does a tremendous job with this one. He captures the raw emotional presence in this film perfectly. It stars Harry Eden as Paul, the 10 yr old boy. Molly Parker as Mel the addictive mother, David Wenham (Faramir in the LOTR films) as Lenny the drug dealer, and Keira Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean, Atonment) as Louise, a waitress who befriends Paul with a troubled past of her own. Eden for a young child does an amazing performance in this film, he carrries the film squarely on his shoulders the entire time. Parker and Knightley have great performances as well but its obvious who the real star of the film was and thats Harry Eden.

This film leaves such a powerful message on the viewer its hard not to feel the strength of the love between mother and son in this movie. It can get very dark at times and even throw some shocking moments at you as well. This is a must see for most people, if not more so to people who have dealt with this same problem as this may be the one film that can truly grasp the negativity and power drugs have on people and their familes. One side note that I want to add is the very unusual but unique musical score the film has, at times its almost like the movie is mocking itself but trying to add the presence of how the story might be told through a child's eyes.