The Notorious Bettie Page
The Notorious Bettie Page Image
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Metascore
64 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 38 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 13 Ratings

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  • Starring: Gretchen Mol, Lili Taylor
  • Summary: A provocative exploration of sexuality, religion and pop culture, The Notorious Bettie Page takes us into the 1950s and the fascinating world of famous pin-up girl, Bettie Page. (Picturehouse)

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 38
  3. Negative: 0 out of 38
  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    88
    Gretchen Mol is finally the key to the mysterious appeal of the film, to its sweetness and sadness.
  2. Dallas Observer
    Reviewed by: Jim Ridley
    80
    Neither a mock-heroic cockeyed success story like "Ed Wood" nor a "Walk the Line"-style hagiography, Mary Harron's facile but hugely entertaining black-and-white biopic seems most interested in its subject--a studious southern girl who became the world's most celebrated fetish pinup--as an object.
  3. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Stephanie Zacharek
    80
    A picture that's fully open to some pretty rough truths. But it's also a joyful, heartfelt movie, one that speaks to the openness and vitality we see in Bettie's pictures.
  4. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Michael Rechtshaffen
    60
    While Gretchen Mol delivers a delightfully exuberant lead performance, the film itself seldom goes beyond skin deep.

See all 38 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. DaveM.
    10
    The tone of the movie is flawless. Fun to watch. It makes you wish that life could be that simple.
  2. HalB.
    8
    An unexpected delight. A quirky little black & white film that transports us back into the 30s, 40s and 50s. This is essentially a character study of one of the more fascinating individuals to come out of the 20th century, and it serves as an indictment of our still-repressed culture. Mol's performance is not to be missed. Can you say "Wow!"?… Expand
  3. Halfwelshman
    5
    The Notorious Bettie Page, a biopic of the infamous pin-up icon, is a mildly entertaining romp through Page's early life and modelling career. Gretchen Mol is spot-on as Page, she looks the part and perfectly captures her iconic poses. Jared Harris is also good as seedy British photographer John Willie, as is David Strathairn as Estes Kefauver as a senator investigating the negative impact of pornography on the American people. I also like the stylistic decision to film partially in black-and-white and partially in garish technicolor - it works really well in terms of setting the tone of particular scenes, with Page's formative years and earlier modelling experiences presented with a nostalgic, classic Hollywood appearance, and her celebrity lifestyle in Miami and her most iconic magazine covers presented as garish, striking splashes of colour. Unfortunately, the film does not seem to say an awful lot about anything, beyond a meagre attempt to discuss the morality of nude photography and censorship. A lot of the film, in fact, seems to simply be providing something to fill the space between the softcore thrills. I also feel that the story comes to an end just when it starts to get really interesting. I would love to see a film adaptation of Page's later life, a far darker and more complex period that would offer genuine scope for real drama. That's the main disappointment about The Notorious Bettie Page, for a story of such a controversial figure, the film comes across as a little tame. Director Mary Harron and her co-writer Guinevere Turner could have been so much braver and really gotten behind Bettie Page's motivations, and her seemingly contradictory moral code. As it is, the film is pleasant, but a little limp and uninspiring. I don't begrudge watching such a competent film, but I never felt I got to understand Bettie Page, so as a biopic, it ultimately fails.… Expand
  4. MarcusG.
    4
    Boring, superificial, and disappointingly lacking.

See all 7 User Reviews

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