Monday, December 15, 2008

DVD OF THE WEEK: THE NOTORIOUS BETTIE PAGE


In honor of Bettie Page passing away last week, I thougt it would only be appropriate to choose The Notorious Bettie Page as this week's DVD of the Week. Gretchen Mol plays the famous model, from her early days in Tennessee to her 1950's heyday, when her bondage photos became the focus of Senator Estes Kefauver's investigation into the pornography industry. Gretchen Mol gives a breakout performance, capturing the spirit and innocence of Bettie, comfortable with her nakedness and oblivious to the puritanical atomosphere of the time. Mol is Bettie Page, pure and simple. The movie paints Bettie's life in large strokes, glossing over some aspects of her life but never fails to capture the charisma and Southern charm of the titular pin-up. Mol is left to carry the movie and she does with ease. This could be the sweetest movie about pornography ever made.

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