Conveying neither the joy nor the agony of its subject, "The Notorious Bettie Page" emerges as a real emotional zero — shocking, coming from a director of Mary Harron’s intelligence and vision.

| Original Score: C | Sep 20, 2022

It was often said that even when Bettie Page was nude, she wasn't naked. Same is true of The Notorious Bettie Page. Visually stunning. Enjoyable. Funny. Entertaining. And clothing optional.

| Nov 13, 2019

A rote assembly of as many character quirks as could be dug out of the public record.

| Oct 16, 2018

Intolerably mild

| Aug 30, 2009

A wonderful celebration of the legend known as Bettie Page.

| Apr 29, 2009

Beautifully stylized but emotionally flat, "The Notorious Bettie Page" is a confined but enjoyable conception of Bettie Page's brief-but-influential career.

| Original Score: B- | Apr 20, 2009

| Original Score: 2/4 | Jul 14, 2007

Director Mary Harron and her co-screenwriter Guinevere Turner seem seriously conflicted about the tone of their film.

| Mar 1, 2007

It is a wondrously entertaining biopic that gives a dazzling insight into a time when the world was ready to embrace the notion of a sex goddess, innocently.

| Mar 1, 2007

Visualmente insosso (o jogo entre P&B e cor parece apenas querer chamar a atenção), o filme empalidece tematicamente diante de Kinsey e não retrata Page de maneira particularmente interessante, apesar da ótima performance de Mol.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 30, 2006

Men can ogle and evaluate all they want. The film's Bettie is what they've made, but she eludes them.

Full Review | Dec 21, 2006

The film was directed by Mary Harron from a screenplay she wrote with Guinevere Turner. In the past, these two did substantial work. Now they play, so that audiences may have the double pleasure of enjoying their porn while feeling superior to it.

Full Review | Nov 11, 2006

Stars Gretchen Mol in a terrific comeback performance as Page, the God-fearing woman from Tennessee who left Nashville for New York, where her aspirations of becoming an actress were interrupted, you might say, by a whip and a ball gag.

| Original Score: B+ | Sep 29, 2006

Refreshingly, Mol doesn't play Page as a dumb bunny but as someone who discovered that narrow middle ground between sweetness and sexiness.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 29, 2006

The Notorious Bettie Page may be nothing but a series of beautiful poses, but audiences will be more than happy with the result.

| Sep 28, 2006

Watching Mol in action in the title role, it's impossible to imagine anyone else in the part.

| Original Score: 5/5 | Sep 21, 2006

A small, strangely sweet tale well told. But this is all about Mol, who puts in a performance that gives her a very early lead on next year's Oscar race.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 4, 2006

A portrait of the centrefold as a closed book.

| Aug 3, 2006

Mary Harron's Bettie Page biopic is beautifully shot and features a terrific performance by Gretchen Mol, but it's also frustratingly vague and never gets beneath the surface.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 3, 2006

Harron is not judgemental in her approach, which allows Bettie's sweet nature to shine through. However, there's a nagging dissatisfaction that comes from being too detached from her subject.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 1, 2006