Radioactive is a historical biopic directed by Marjane Satrapi. The plot recounts the life of famed scientist Marie Sklodowska-Curie, or as the world came to know her Madame Curie, (Rosamund Pike). We see her first breakthroughs, the romance with the love of her life (who was also her scientific partner), and her coming to realise the incredibly harmful side effects of her science changing discovery.
Much like the other Rosamund Pike biopic that I covered recently, A Private War, this is not a cheery watch. It is very informative, and you learn a great deal, even if the film is a little ham-fisted with these ‘lessons’, but yeah maybe you will want to watch something a bit happier once you’re done.
What I mean when I am talking about these ham-fisted lessons, is this film throws everything it can at you to show how destructive radium in its many forms can be; it shows you Hiroshima, it shows you Chernobyl it is very in your face with it. It does show to a much lesser degree the positive impact that Curie’s discovery has had on society, but it gets buried under all the negativity. I understand, the point was probably to show that all scientific discoveries can be both good and bad, but it feels uneven.
Rosamund Pike proves her chameleon like nature once again and becomes unrecognisable sinking into the character. Phenomenal stuff. Her fellow cast mate Anya Taylor-Joy however sticks out like a sore thumb as Curie’s daughter. She doesn’t feel like she exists in that time period, it feels like someone acting, which isn’t a good thing.
Overall, a reverting watch if a little upsetting. Pike once again shines bright.
Pros.
Captivating
Pike
Cons.
It is very sad
Taylor-Joy sticks out
The commentary is a little one-sided
2.5/5
Reviewed by Luke
Another Millennial Reviewer 