RADIOACTIVE
Release Date:5th November
Cast: Rosamund Pike, Sam Riley, Aneurin Barnard, Simon Russell
Beale, Katherine Parkinson, Sian Brooke, Anya Taylor-Joy
RADIOACTIVE is a journey through Marie Curie’s played brilliantly by (Rosamund Pike)
from the 1870s through to modern day as to her enduring legacies – her passionate partnerships, scientific breakthroughs, and the consequences that follow.
In late 19th century Paris, Marie met fellow scientist Pierre Curie (Sam Riley). The pair went on to marry, raised two daughters and changed the face of science forever by their discovery of radioactivity. In 1903, the pair jointly won the Nobel Prize in physics for their discovery, making Marie the first woman to win the esteemed prize.
After the death of her beloved Pierre, Marie’s commitment to science remained unwavering and her work went on to win her a second Nobel Prize, taking with it the responsibility for discoveries which changed the world. This is a bold, visionary depiction of a legacy of an extraordinary life, the transformative effects and ensuing fallout of the Curie’s work and an exploration of how this impacted the defining moments of the 20th Century.
Director Marjane Satrapi has brought amazing emotion with all the characters but it is without a doubt the Pike carries this film from the start to finish and it was noted that when casting they were really searching for the correct actor to play Marie Curie.
They searched for an actor who could play younger and older – for the role sees Marie age from 24 to 67 – and most importantly, had the innate intelligence to understand the science and portray convincingly one of the world’s greatest minds.
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They turned to Rosamund Pike, who responded immediately not only to the screenplay but also to Satrapi’s approach as a director.
“I needed an actor who was dedicated and brilliant and Rosamund is exactly that,” says Satrapi. “She learnt the science to the extent that she would correct me on it. I thought I knew everything, but she knew better than me. She can be very focused, but as soon as she smiles it’s as if she has swallowed the sun and it shines out of her. Her generosity is incredible. I cannot praise her enough.”
Says the director: Marjane Satrapi I saw Rosamund arrive as Rosamund, and an hour later, when she came on set, I would think, ‘She’s swallowed Marie, there is no Rosamund left!
DOP is Anthony Dod Mantle and has worked around the world on many critically acclaimed films, collaborating with some of the most exciting directors in modern cinema including Lars Von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg, Danny Boyle and Kevin Macdonald. The cinemascope is one to see on screen and production value is faultless.
The film is produced by Shoebox Films’ Paul Webster (ATONEMENT, EASTERN PROMISES, SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN), together with Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, co-chairmen of the BAFTA award-winning production company Working Title Films (THE DARKEST HOUR, LES MISERABLES, THE DANISH GIRL, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, RUSH).
STUDIOCANAL and Amazon Studios co-financed the feature film, which was filmed on location in Budapest and Spain.
Outstanding and Insightful
Caroline Russo
