Synopsis
A young boy trying to deal with his mother's heroin addiction befriends a waitress who helps him cope with the tough situation.
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Cast
- Molly ParkerMel
- Harry EdenPaul
- Keira KnightleyLouise
- Vinnie HunterLee
- David WenhamLenny
- Nitin GanatraAbu
- Levi HayesJack
- Rupert ProcterHarry
- Bronson WebbTom
- Marsha ThomasonVicki
Recommendations
- 80
The Hollywood Reporter
Pure's lively and colorful cinematic style turns a "downer" story about grim lives and desperation into a powerful love story. - 80
L.A. Weekly
Real kudos goes to Molly Parker, searing as a heroin-addicted mother immobilized by the death of her husband, and to a poised little boy named Harry Eden, who's astonishingly good as the 10-year-old son desperately trying to hold her to the straight and narrow. - 75
Entertainment Weekly
Pure belongs to Eden, a remarkably strong child actor, and Deadwood's Molly Parker, broken and affecting as his sweaty, gear-crazy mum. - 75
Chicago Sun-Times
One of the movie's intriguing qualities is that its horrors take place within a world that is not as cruel and painful as we know it could be. - 75
Portland Oregonian
It's not without one or two missteps, but remains likely the most impressive juvenile acting you'll see this year. - 70
Variety
The film belongs to Eden, who creates a winning personality out of a combination of vulnerability, resourcefulness, toughness and fragility. It's an outstanding juvenile performance. - 70
The A.V. Club
Pure loses a bit of its nerve in the home stretch, but Eden's unforgettable performance alone makes it a compelling portrait of a smart young boy forced to grow up way too fast. - 70
Chicago Reader
A small but achingly authentic piece of kitchen-sink realism, this might never have made it across the pond without babe du jour Keira Knightley, excellent in a supporting role as a smacked-out waitress. But the real wonder is Parker, whose vulnerability and wraithlike beauty are devastating.