The Notorious Bettie Page (Mary Harron)

(Director Mary Harron, star Gretchen Mol and DoP W. Mott Hupfel III)


Mary Harron

This is a biopic that got things right. Coming off the Cash movie this felt more appropriate to the subject matter. Harron obviously has a great love for the period and the subject. The film is shot like a product of the era. Grainy black and white and a 50's New York City straight out of Movietone News. Some sequences are presented in bold colour to evoke the style of the location (Miami beach) or to mimic the photographic style of a particular photo shoot. Mol is outstanding as the naive Bettie Page.

As a camerajunkie I really enjoyed seeing the vintage cameras. Harron recreated actual Page photoshoots that would probably fool actual Page fanatics.

This was a world premiere. Produced by HBO films and Killer Films (Christine Vachon) this movie will get a theatrical release (via Odeon / Alliance Atlantis in Canada).