Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

Pluskylang Great Film overall

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Mr-Fusion Bettie Page was the most photographed woman of the '50s, and a look at both her life and the nature of sexuality in America at that time would make for a pretty solid biopic. But at 90 minutes, there's no hope of examining everything. That said, THE NOTORIOUS BETTIE PAGE does cover the broad strokes. It's very nicely photographed, in both black and white and a blast of chroma during the Miami period. I loved David Strathairn's bit part as Joseph McCarthy, a nice joke on his Edward R. Murrow performance. And the animated magazine covers was a novel touch; this is a well-produced little movie. But it's the nail-on-the-head casting of Gretchen Mol in the titular role that's the real reason to watch this. Mol is perfect; she's gorgeous and seems to imbue that almost innocent quality of the real-life Page, a woman who wasn't inhibited because she didn't see the harm in taking pictures in less (or no) clothing. I was already a fan of the actress, but to her immense credit, she brings the role to life on the screen. Her work here is top-notch. 7/10

KineticSeoul I never knew anything about or even heard of Bettie Page until I saw this movie. And I think it's decent for a HBO flick but nothing amazing but still a decent watch. Now Bettie Page was America's sensational pin-up girl during the 50's that was notorious for her bondage picks which are pretty tame in today's standards. And the setting is in a period when censorship was very tough, to the point some politicians were claiming that pornographic images are worse than communism. Like the title what drives this movie is the characters of Bettie Page. Although it goes in a straightforward biographical film from how she was a young Christian to how she became a pin-up girl. And Bettie Page is a interesting character and despite her very naive personality she was a likable person. Because despite the hardships she faced and major sexual harassment she got from a young age, she still has this bright and cheerful personality about her. And how she still has kind and friendly nature towards everyone without being bitter despite her circumstances. The directing style is slightly unique as well. It has this retro feel to it and when Bettie is in New York it's black and white to bring about that period feel. And when she is in Miami it's colored but still has that retro visuals. Overall this is a alright watch but nothing all that entertaining or engrossing for a movie about the life of a pin-up girl. Everyone's performances were just excellent especially Gretchen Mol who really captures the essence of Bettie Page.5.5/10

Charles Herold (cherold) I never feel a dramatic work is successful if at the end I can't figure out why anyone bothered to make it. And that's my problem with this movie. Sure, Gretchen Mol is wonderful, radiating a natural charm and sense of fun that make you really believe that this girl could become a pin-up obsession, and I like the period photography, but the movie doesn't seem to really be about anything.While this movie is about Bettie Page, it doesn't really tell us anything about her. It tells a little of her life - traumatic incidents, failed relationships, acting aspirations - but Bettie seems to wander around with all the thought of a kitten.There are people in this world who live like that, and Bettie may have been one of them, a girl free of introspection (although reading wikipedia suggests she may have been more complex), but that doesn't excuse the lack of introspection in the movie itself. It's not just that this movie doesn't explain Bettie - some people are inexplicable - or that she has a sudden, unpersuasive change of life at the end, it's that the movie doesn't explain *anything*. It makes no attempt to give context to this 1950s battle against pornography (so mild that now you can find stronger stuff on youtube. Its stock supporting characters never come to life, in spite of the talent of the actors involved. The movie doesn't seem to want to say anything about anything.Why was this movie made? Because Bettie Page has a cult following and because Gretchen Mol looks really good naked. But that's not a good enough reason to make a movie.

rokcomx A show well worth peeping. Starring the woman who played lady cop Annie in the U.S. version of the (woefully underrated) Life on Mars TV show, the Notorious Bettie Page is a pretty good movie. It goes into surprising depth RE the increasingly federalized attempts to legislate all aspects of the sex biz out of existence, as well as covering a lot of Miss Page's (very interesting) personal biographical history. Star Gretchen Mol (who seems to specialize in period pieces - the '70s in Life on Mars, and now the '50s) does well with projecting both innocence and naughtiness. I've met part-time pornographer Bunny Yeager and can vouch that the movie's portrayal is fairly accurate, if a bit superficial - much more could have been done with the motivations behind choosing such an "outlaw" endeavor, in a social-status era when jail wasn't anywhere near the worst thing that could result.All in all, tho, a well-done flick --