"Pure" is a story about disintegrated families, victims of the drug addiction. Mel (Molly Parker), after the death of her husband, becomes a junkie, and leaves the fate of her family into the hands of Lenny (David Wenham), Upton Park's local pimp and drug dealer. Paul (Harry Eden), Mel's ten year old son, is the main hero who tries his best to ensure the safety of his younger brother, and the health of the helpless parent. In spite of Paul's efforts to stop mom's dependence on heroin, Mel does little to keep her family together. Only at the sight of her stoned child she decides to give up, and predictably succeeds.
Gilles MacKinnon ("Regeneration") creates a film in which the moods of the character are expressed elegantly in the use of intense colours being juxtaposed to blurred ones; drama and passion are juxtaposed to comedy and joy all creating a mixed psychological tableau, in which the parents need to be taken cared of, and the children excel in their moral superiority. Alison Hume's script, based on a detailed research of drug-addicted mothers in Leeds, tries to combine the independence of the capital with the community spirit present within West Ham's supporters, in order to achieve the dramatic impact expected from films that tackle similar themes.
The effect is far from expected. Although Harry Eden tries his best to impress in his struggle between understanding of and love for his mother, there is still quite a bit to go to challenge Haley Joel Osment. Arguably most characters tend to seclude too easily into stereotypes, and remain shadowed by the overall picture. The only decent cast is Molly Parker ("Kissed", "Men with Brooms"), who manages a most memorable performance, particularly when she ends up admitting: "I know I am a s**t mother. I never say it, but I always think that. I love you". At the end of the day she proves that "a junkie mom is better than no mom".
"Pure" is a film that would appeal mainly to the families with similar experiences, but may be of little interest to the general public. The one touching thing is the soothing soundtrack, which tends to give an optimistic feeling to the story in the lively piano tune. Otherwise, the film is too pure to be disembodied, though many might disagree. After all the Berlin International Film Festival Jury had to have a few good reasons to honour it with two Manfred Salzgeber Awards.
Gilles MacKinnon ("Regeneration") creates a film in which the moods of the character are expressed elegantly in the use of intense colours being juxtaposed to blurred ones; drama and passion are juxtaposed to comedy and joy all creating a mixed psychological tableau, in which the parents need to be taken cared of, and the children excel in their moral superiority. Alison Hume's script, based on a detailed research of drug-addicted mothers in Leeds, tries to combine the independence of the capital with the community spirit present within West Ham's supporters, in order to achieve the dramatic impact expected from films that tackle similar themes.
The effect is far from expected. Although Harry Eden tries his best to impress in his struggle between understanding of and love for his mother, there is still quite a bit to go to challenge Haley Joel Osment. Arguably most characters tend to seclude too easily into stereotypes, and remain shadowed by the overall picture. The only decent cast is Molly Parker ("Kissed", "Men with Brooms"), who manages a most memorable performance, particularly when she ends up admitting: "I know I am a s**t mother. I never say it, but I always think that. I love you". At the end of the day she proves that "a junkie mom is better than no mom".
"Pure" is a film that would appeal mainly to the families with similar experiences, but may be of little interest to the general public. The one touching thing is the soothing soundtrack, which tends to give an optimistic feeling to the story in the lively piano tune. Otherwise, the film is too pure to be disembodied, though many might disagree. After all the Berlin International Film Festival Jury had to have a few good reasons to honour it with two Manfred Salzgeber Awards.