Paul's mother is a prime example of where Britain has gone badly wrong. Although she is a widow with two sons, she has likely never worked and does not need to as the State will take care of her, provide her with a house, child allowance and a living allowance. As she has nothing to do and all day to do it, rather than clean and tidy up her squalid house, she idles the time away using drugs and leaving her children to drag themselves up. Her friends likewise.As shown in this film, the once lively colorful East End of London is now home to a squalid demi-monde who prefer to do anything other than work and enjoy the finer things of life. Even Paul's waitress friend is a pick pocket and crack user. Where are the courageous people who survived six years of German bombing by sleeping in the underground railway stations, before going off to work next day. The people with their wonderful Cockney humour? Not in today's East End by the look of it.Rather than sympathize with the characters in this film, I wanted to exterminate the junkies, pushers, and assorted low-lives, or at least cut them off from their State provided free ride.This depressing film is not entertainment. Give me an old Ealing comedy any day.

A great deal of crime in the world is drug induced, so those of us who lead a sheltered life have little time for those who indulge in them. However, watching a film such as this does make one stop and think, that in itself reason enough to view.There but for the grace-etc. The performances of all concerned were truly amazing, I am used to Molly Parker giving her all, but this was acting at the highest level, Harry Eden was brilliant. Others have picked out performances, but I haven't seen Geraldine McEwan mentioned, terrific as Gran. Films like this don't usually get awards, all I can say is-they should. Wonderful stuff! (I have voted nine as I reserve ten for that elusive perfect one that comes along once in a while.)

"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.

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.