Review of The Notorious Bettie Page (2006) by Ahmed S — 12 Mar 2009

Does any actress have the right to play Bettie Page? It's a challenge to find anyone who deserves that spot. Gretchen Mol goes up to plate for the challenge. The camera loves Gretchen, but I sometimes wonder if she was right for the role.

Or if any woman could be. Nonetheless, the story was told accurately, and in a very interesting manner. A lot of details are given about Bettie's life, and done very well in a "less-is-more" manner.

You know what's going on, you know what happens, and you know the outcome without too many scenes saturating the story. The cinematography has that nice vintage feel, sucking you right into the period.

Whether you are convinced Gretchen Mol is playing Bettie correctly, or if you are just enamoured with the beauty of Gretchen Mol, you will simply fall for the character. It's a fine story, despite the challenges it faces.

I'm pretty happy with it in my collection.