The Notorious Bettie Page

Bettie Page was a naïve Nashville girl who escaped to the Big Apple from Tennessee and slipped almost accidentally into the world of lowbrow S&M photos and films that represented the cutting-edge of “pornography” of the 1950s (absurdly mild by today's standards, but so provocative at the time that it led to a congressional investigation). Bettie's prominence in the mom-and-pop “industry” was eventually such that she acquired superstar status within a relatively small and secret circle of admirers, and was called before the government inquisitors. Unfortunately, director Mary Harron, who took considerable chances with American Psycho, adopts a demure approach here, presenting the material (mostly shot in black-and-white, but with some color inserts) as a period piece, mimicking the detached, inexpressive style of “shocking” 1950s melodrama. While clever in theory, this cinematic ploy pretty much flops in practice, as the artificiality and deliberately leaden pace not only sap the movie of vitality but also undermine a fine lead turn by Gretchen Mol. In fact, the script seems much more interested in setting up a series of evocative set-pieces than in fashioning an insightful portrait of its subject, who's drawn as almost absurdly unreflective and oblivious to the implications of the business that employs her. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary (by writer-director Mary Harron, star Gretchen Mol, and co-writer Guinevere Turner), the 15-minute “An Inside Look at the Pin-Up Queen of the Universe” featurette, a three-minute “Presenting Bettie Page” performance segment starring the real Page, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing film.] (F. Swietek)