Radioactive (2019)

Radioactive (2019) is a film directed by Marjane Satrapi, the Franco-Iranian artist who previously created Persepolis (an autobiographical comic strip) (2007). She has decided to remake a true story, but this time not inspired by her own work. She turned away from comics to devote herself to cinema. Her first two films, co-directed with Vincent Paronnaud, were adaptations of her own works.

Here, she has cast Rosamund Pike as Marie Curie and Sam Riley as her husband, Pierre Curie.

Rosamund is rather unsympathetic in this role, but on researching photos of the real Marie Curie, it’s true that she didn’t look very nice either.

Respect for this woman of science who knew how to make her mark among men who didn’t take her seriously. And for finding radium and polonium.

Sam Riley, the famous actor who played the mythical Ian Curtis (lead singer of the late, great band Joy Division) in the film Control, also excels in this film.

The film is well made, well directed… but let’s face it, it’s rather long and complicated for those who aren’t at all good at science or aren’t interested in chemistry. In fact, I’m one of those who’ve never understood anything about chemistry. And I admire those who make a living of it.

What a pleasure to see Anya Taylor-Joy again, who appears towards the last quarter of the film. Seeing her alongside Rosamund Pike is a real delight. They’re a perfect match.

This story takes place from the end of the 19th century to around 1934.

A French story set mainly in Paris, directed by a Franco-Iranian with American actors? This mix makes the film even more worthwhile.

I found this other review very interesting:

“Duality

In this film, we see very clearly the duality in which we live. An important discovery, in positive terms for example, which gives rise to the X-ray machine, in negative terms to the atomic bomb. His discovery divided society during his lifetime and revealed that practically everything has these (or its) two sides. Even her love affair, intense as it was, was marked by great loss. In any case, she was a very strong woman, who didn’t allow herself to be destabilized by obstacles, and who was also a role model for the feminist movement.”