Radioactive: true story of Marie Curie

The incredible true story of Marie Sklodowska-Curie and her Nobel Prize-winning work that changed the world.

From the 1870s to the modern era RADIOACTIVE is a journey through Marie Curie's (Rosamund Pike) enduring legacies - her passionate relationships scientific breakthroughs and the consequences that followed for her and for the world.

After meeting fellow scientist Pierre Curie (Sam Riley) the pair go on to marry and change the face of science forever by their discovery of radioactivity.

The genius of the Curies' world-changing discoveries and the ensuing Nobel Prize propels the devoted couple into the international limelight. From Academy Award� nominated director Marjane Satrapi comes a bold visionary depiction of the transformative effects and ensuing fallout of the Curie's work and how this shaped the defining moments of the 20th Century.

Director: Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis)

Starring: Rosamund Pike Sam Riley Ethan Hawke.

PG-13 | 1h 49min | Biography Drama

Radioactive | Official Trailer

REVIEW: Radioactive

Not afraid to get experimental as anything

FEW biopics enjoy the luxury of exploring subjects who can legitimately lay claim to having changed the world.

Therefore Radioactive instantly finds itself a step ahead of the pack simply by virtue of getting to tell the remarkable life story of pioneering scientist Marie Curie.

Not only was Madame Curie (played convincingly at varying ages by Rosamund Pike) the first woman to win the coveted Nobel prize. She was also the first person to bag two of them.

Often in collaboration with her equally renowned husband Pierre (Sam Riley) Marie's discovery of radium and polonium (and ongoing study of the properties) carried dramatic implications for the whole planet as the 20th century took shape.

Not just for how her work changed a way of life for so many but also for shifting the weight of history for all time.

The invention of the X-ray machine and the advent of chemotherapy as the preeminent cancer treatment can be traced back to Curie's microscope-peering endeavours.

But so too can the dropping of atomic bombs the recurrence of nuclear meltdowns and a climate of fear that has only intensified over time.

If this sounds like some hefty intellectual baggage for a movie of this type to be carrying you are absolutely right.

While Radioactive often carries itself as a rather dainty costume drama it does have some heavier concerns concealed beneath its frilled bonnets and bustle skirts.

On occasion this can make the vibe on-screen come off as a touch dour. So the onus falls on Rosamund Pike to personalise Marie Curie's singular journey as a trailblazer for both her imposing field of research and her widely oppressed gender.

It must be said that Pike is exceptionally well-cast in the role as is Sam Riley in a relatively drab and thankless part.

The two leads wage a running battle against a marble-mouthed script which often overdoes on-the-spot explaining of what is going on. That they eventually come out the victors speaks volumes for their efforts.

Overall this wellintentioned production earns a more-than-honourable pass mark if only for spotlighting Marie Curie's most important achievements and also ensuring her name remains linked to them.

This review by LEIGH PAATSCH is from the November 12 2020 issue of The Herald Sun Digital Edition.
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