Pure

I saw this movie at the Toronto film festival. Yet again Molly Parker gives a convincing performance, this time as a widowed single mother who becomes a drug addict. David Wenham plays her son and he goes to heroic lengths to keep his family together. Love rules in this movie.

Normally I am depressed by these kind of movies. There is a place for a look at the worst side of life but I don't usually seek them out for entertainment. However the performances in this are uniformly excellent and I watched it in spite of my prejudices. Particular praise goes out to Molly Parker and David Wenham, both from other parts of the world, but playing Londoners convincingly. Paul, wonderfully played by Harry Eden, is a fully fleshed character and Eden is unusually good for a child actor who, in effect, is carrying the whole movie, as he is in practically every scene. If anyone needs to see the misery that drugs cause they could do little better than watch this film.

This film has quickly become one of my all time favourites. I was a bit dubious at first thinking this will be just another story of Heroine abuse, but I was wrong. This story of a 10 year old boy, played by the very talented young Harry Eden, trying to rid his mother of a terrible addiction is a touching story and will leave even the coldest heart a bit warmer towards him.

This is achieved through great screen play and acting abilities of cast members like Molly Parker who plays the addicted mother and David Wenham who plays Lenny, the pimp/dealer who is feeding Mel's (Molly Parker) addiction. But the true star of the show has to be Harry Eden who is in almost every scene and portraits just about every emotion known to man and seems to do so effortlessly.

This is a must see film for anyone that likes to be emotionally touched whilst watching a movie.

Mel (Molly Parker) is a mess after the death of her husband. She's a junkie being taken care of by her 10-year-old son Paul. Family friend Vicki (Marsha Thomason) dies in an overdose. Paul is forced to confront that his mother could die from drugs. Her friend Lenny (David Wenham) feeds her the drugs. Paul befriends waitress Louise (Keira Knightley). Mel decides to quit Heroin cold-turkey with Paul helping out but Lenny stop it. Paul's grandparents tries to get him away from his mom.

The kid is wonderful in this. Of course, he's given a really juicy role. Molly Parker does a great job as a junkie in a British accent no less. The story is filled with humanity and it flows through the kid. Knightley has a co-starring role as a junkie grifter waitress. It's interesting to see her character presented at first as a savior for the kid.

I picked this film up not knowing what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised. It is a gripping story, and the characters are well-developed. There are indeed several disturbing scenes and some sad circumstances, but it is tastefully done. I think everyone should watch this film, honestly. It reminds the viewer of the harsh realities of the world. Kiera Knightly does a wonderful job in her supporting role, as do the rest of the actors. Definitely an incredible performance by the little boy for such a mentally and emotionally demanding role. The score is also well-written and captures the tone of the film nicely. Overall, this is a wonderful, sad, gripping story that is a must-see!