70
Metascore
11 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80The Hollywood ReporterKirk HoneycuttThe Hollywood ReporterKirk HoneycuttPure's lively and colorful cinematic style turns a "downer" story about grim lives and desperation into a powerful love story.
- 80L.A. WeeklyElla TaylorL.A. WeeklyElla TaylorReal 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.
- 75Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyPure belongs to Eden, a remarkably strong child actor, and Deadwood's Molly Parker, broken and affecting as his sweaty, gear-crazy mum.
- 75Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertOne 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.
- 75Portland OregonianMarc MohanPortland OregonianMarc MohanIt's not without one or two missteps, but remains likely the most impressive juvenile acting you'll see this year.
- 70VarietyDavid StrattonVarietyDavid StrattonThe 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.
- 70The A.V. ClubNathan RabinThe A.V. ClubNathan RabinPure 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.
- 70Chicago ReaderJ.R. JonesChicago ReaderJ.R. JonesA 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.
- 60TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghMacKinnon's film draws on his past as a youth worker and features a standout performance from first-time performer Harry Eden.
- 60Los Angeles TimesCarina ChocanoLos Angeles TimesCarina ChocanoThis is a conventional, well-acted, English working-class drama in the familiar realist style, but it does not attain anywhere near the level of artistry and imagination of a Ken Loach film.