Pure (2004)

74% of critics liked it
(23 reviews)
51% of users liked it
(266 ratings)

A group of young Montrealers seek, in their own limited ways, for the meaning of life, love, sex and friendship. Misha is a street-smart college student who is torn between completing her degree and her party-girl past. During her summer off in the suburbs she meets Josh, a sweet sensitive guy she… More A group of young Montrealers seek, in their own limited ways, for the meaning of life, love, sex and friendship. Misha is a street-smart college student who is torn between completing her degree and her party-girl past. During her summer off in the suburbs she meets Josh, a sweet sensitive guy she instantly falls for. Misha brings him along to the city to help her find an apartment, register for classes, and maybe a little more. Josh's quiet, introspective world is shaken when Misha's quirky friends drag the new couple out for a dizzying night of dancing in after-hours clubs. Misha's ex-boyfriend, Sam, further lures her back into the party-girl life with promises of being on the inside track now that he's a big time party promoter. When class registration doesn't quite go as planned, a disheartened Misha unwittingly finds herself having to choose in life and destiny. Will she head back to class? Or party her life away? Can she follow her heart and choose what's best for her?

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 20 min.
Directed By: Jim Donovan
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Nov 11, 2005 Wide
On DVD: Jul 25, 2006
Studio: K- Films Amérique

Critic Reviews

Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Eden, who holds the film together by his winning presence and doughty performance, effectively conveys the effect of severe challenges that no child should ever have to face.
G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle
Although there is nothing really new here, an honest sense of humanity wins out.
Michael Booth, Denver Post
Parker and Harry Eden, the boy who plays her precocious-by-necessity son, elevate Pure from a tedious cautionary tale to a wrenching drama.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Molly Parker is an extraordinary actress of the ordinary.
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
It's a good film that really knows its subject.
Gregory Kirschling, Entertainment Weekly
Director Gillies MacKinnon (Hideous Kinky) forges a very wrenching and believable bond between Parker and Eden.
Jules Brenner, Filmcritic.com
derivative ... we've seen better
Eric D. Snider, EricDSnider.com
It is so well-acted that it deserves admiration, but some of its pedestrian plot elements drag it down toward mediocrity.
Marc Mohan, Oregonian
There are latchkey kids, and then there's Paul, the 10-year-old hero (there's no other word for it) of Gillies MacKinnon's powerful drama Pure.
Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star
You kinda wish something, anything good would happen to the kid. Maybe someone could get him some ice cream.
Carlo Cavagna, AboutFilm.com
PURE offers a fascinating contrast between acting talent (Molly Parker) and star quality (Kiera Knightley).
, E! Online
In an award-worthy performance, [Eden] possesses the screen with ease and steals the entire film.
Ella Taylor, L.A. Weekly
Pure is made in the fine old miserabilist tradition of Mike Leigh and Ken Loach, but MacKinnon has a rare way with children and a poetic eye for even the drabbest inner-city habitats.
Timothy Knight, Reel.com
A decent but ultimately unmemorable film.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]"Pure" takes place following the death of Paul's father, making ten-year old Paul(Harry Eden) the man of the house, as his distraught mother(Molly Parker) has been seduced by Lenny(David Wenham), a drug dealer, and the narcotic allure of heroin.… More
[font=Century Gothic]"Pure" takes place following the death of Paul's father, making ten-year old Paul(Harry Eden) the man of the house, as his distraught mother(Molly Parker) has been seduced by Lenny(David Wenham), a drug dealer, and the narcotic allure of heroin. After the death of a family friend, Vicki(Marsha Thomason), she vows to go cold turkey in an attempt to kick the addiction for the sake of her family.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Pure" is an occasionally harrowing tale of addiction with an ending that is simply too pat, told from a child's point of view while at the same time not making the children emotional hostages. Here, drug dealers are portrayed as vampires preying on the weaknesses of others. Overall, the movie only rises above the ordinary due to Molly Parker's emotionally exacting performance.[/font]