Pure, directed by Gillies MacKinnon, places adorable ten-year-old Paul (played by Harry Eden) in the company of junkies and their suppliers within a working class neighborhood in London's East End, not far from the Upton Park soccer stadium in West Ham. Mel (played by Molly Parker), Paul's widowed mother, is hooked on heroin. So is one of her friends, who dies early in the film, as well as pregnant Louise (played by Keira Knightley), a waiter at a nearby restaurant. Although Paul dutifully takes care of Mel in the absence of a father, even doing the housework and preparing her "medicine," the Social Services agency becomes aware of the situation, evidently because Mel's mother-in-law (played by Geraldine McEwen) wants custody of Paul and his younger brother Lee (played by Vinnie Hunter). When Mel tries to go cold turkey, her supplier Lenny (played by David Wenham) intervenes due a ruse that he plots with Louise, who distracts Paul from guarding his mom's amateur effort to end the addiction. Ultimately, police place Mel in custody, while Mel's mother-in-law gains temporary custody of Paul and Lee. At one point, in utter desperation, Paul accepts cocaine from Louise to see why his mother feels so good, but he throws up; while on methadone, Mel finds out and assaults Louise, and Paul never tries the substance again. Paul now realizes that he will lose his mother if he does not put a stop to Lenny, so he makes a pact with the police. The film culminates in a custody hearing, reminiscent of Ladybird, Ladybird (1994), in which the authorities must decide whether to award Paul and Lee to their mother or their grandparents. Although the story is very touching, the Cockney words are so indistinct even for those accustomed to British English that American audiences will need subtitles, similar to My Name Is Joe (1999). MH
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