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[email protected] Rosamund Pike stars in a scene from the movie Radioactive , a drama based on the life of Marue Curie. PHOTO: CNS/AMAZON STUDIOS) RADIOACTIVE The mother of the atom THE KEY to any good film bi- ography of a scientist is found in the montages that show the discovery or invention that gained the subject fame. On that score, Radioactive (Amazon), the story of Marie Curie (Rosamund Pike), the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize for physics, does not disappoint. A sequence that begins with the crude refining of a uraniummineral called pitch- blende ends with Curie smil- ing in bed, caressing a vial of glowing blue-green radium. It’s a historical moment on the scale of Thomas Edison switching on one of his elec- tric bulbs. Those with at least a su- perficial knowledge of Curie, who died in 1934 of anaemia brought on by radiation ex- posure, at only age 66, will immediately know that this doesn’t end well. And that’s where the bur- den of this story, written by Jack Thorne from a fact-based graphic novel by Lauren Red- niss and directed by Marjane Satrapi, can be sensed. The movie, in its devotion to tracing all the moral conse- quences of Curie’s pioneering work, sometimes trips over its own earnestness. So there are scenes showing the use of radiation therapy for can- cer treatment in the 1950s mingled with a sequence from the Enola Gay before its crew dropped the first atomic bomb on Japan in 1945 and a scene from the explosion of the nuclear reactor at Cherno- byl in 1986. It’s all useful. Attentive viewers can and will learn about matters far beyond the rampant sexism Curie faced as a Paris physicist in the 1890s. And the educational subject matter makes it po- tentially appropriate for ma- ture adolescents. But class is definitely in session here. This is the rare historical film that not only puts a study guide right there in its plot, but also gives the sensation of being fully foot- noted, with maybe a pop quiz to follow. The big romantic moment arrives before Marie Sklo- dowska and Pierre Curie (Sam Riley) marry, at the point at which she’s almost decided to give up science and return to her native Poland to teach French. He presents her with a quadrant electrometer to measure electrical charges. “As you proposing a part- nership?” she asks. “That’s exactly what I’mdo- ing,” he replies. “I will never be the woman REVIEWS MASS WEEKLY Community of Risen Christ continue to meet online for Divine Mercy prayer every Saturday at 8pm. All Welcome Zoom Meeting: https://zoom us/j/4399152776 Meeting ID: 439 915 2776, Password : 124622 Contact Steffi Sequeira on 0436 395 763 Holy Hours: 6 evenings a week (Mon to Sat) 8pm - 11pm; Adoration (half hour) after daily 8;30am Mass (Mon to Sat, except Tue), Tue 6-7pm. St Bernadette’s Carlton, 10 Argyle St, Carlton. VISTA 2020 or the wife you want me to be,” she says. But they press on, enjoying mutual success and recognition far beyond what they could achieve individu- ally. Marie is haunted by the childhood memory of her mother’s death, which has compelled her ferocious work ethic and spurred her curios- ity about whether an afterlife exists. Pierre, for a time, lurch- es into spiritualism but, in the way of all historical pageants, this becomes only a part of the passing scenery. The film contains scenes of violence without gore, fleeting rear female nudity in a nonsexual context, brief marital sensuality and mature themes. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. - CNS ¾ ¾ By Kurt Jensen STREAMING ON AMAZON Self-help fantasy falls short AS DIRECTED and co-writ- ten by Andy Tennant, this ad- aptation of Rhonda Byrne’s self-help book, ostensibly a romantic drama, is essentially a thinly disguised sales pitch for Byrne’s power-of-posi- tive-thinking philosophy ac- cording to which it’s possi- ble to just will one’s self into wealth, opportunity and true love. A widowedmother of three (Katie Holmes) working for a Louisiana seafood restaura- teur (Jerry O’Connell) who pines for her is a prey to bad impulsive decisions and is constantly in debt. Then into her life, not by coincidence, mind you, drops Mr Right (Josh Lucas) who thereafter serves as the spokesman for Byrne’s outlook. The film does strive to be likeable. But the script’s mes- sage is a far cry from anything resembling traditional Chris- tian spirituality. So, although the more usu- al problematic elements are virtually absent, the movie cannot be endorsed for young viewers or those among their elders inclined to buy the Brooklyn Bridge. Promotion of a nonscriptur- al worldview requiring mature discernment, a single crass term. Some material may not be suitable for children. - CNS ¾ ¾ By Kurt Jensen THE SECRET: DARE TO DREAM LIONSGATE MOVIES The script’s mes- sage is a far cry from anything resembling tra- ditional Chris- tian spirituality with its emphasis on self-sacri- fice and empathy” The story about Marie Curie, the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize for physics, shows its devotion to tracing all the moral consequences of Curie’s pi- oneering work including the sexism she faced as a Paris physicist in the 1890s”