The Notorious Bettie Page Tagged Articles at Cinematical

I'm sorry to post that the LA Times has reported that Bettie Page passed away Thursday night at the age of 85. The news comes after the pinup icon had spent a few weeks on life support following her heart attack earlier this month. In her memory, I thought I'd whip up a rewind for the film based on her life -- The Notorious Bettie Page, which starred Gretchen Mol as the lady with the black bangs.

In the clip below, Page gets introduced to the world of modeling and pin-up girls, and soon finds her smiling face gracing a myriad of magazines. While the film only received moderate buzz, most seem in agreement -- Mol did a heck of a job as Page, and carried the film right into a number of decent reviews.

Rest in peace, Bettie. You'll be missed.


Warning: Not entirely safe for work -- brief nudity.

Despite the fact that early reviews of Mary Harron's The Notorious Bettie Page have been fairly mixed, the film's slick new trailer is so charming that it's hard not to be optimistic about its potential. Portraying fetish queen Page's life in a combination of period black and white and bright, over-saturated color, Harron's film comes across as buoyant and carefree, which at first is a bit odd, considering the difficulties faced by its subject. The mood of nostalgia the film creates, however, is so powerful that to argue with its tone feels somehow unsporting - instead, you end up being completely sucked in by its sunny optimism.

In the title role, Gretchen Mol is potentially stunning - both because she looks so much like the iconic Page and because (at least in the glimpses we see) she appears to take to the role with such impressive ease. Could it be that Bettie Page will actually turn Mol into the star that magazine covers first declared her years ago? Based on festival reviews, it seems a distinct possibility.

The film will hit American screens in mid-April, with only a limited release planned by Picturehouse.

[via AICN]