The best biographical films show us something of the soul or psyche of the person being depicted. While the surface of The Notorious Bettie Page is certainly slick and visually engaging, there just seems to be nothing beneath that surface. For all the meticulous recreation of the fifties period, the impression I had was of people "just dressing up in costumes," but never portraying the characters beneath. Considering she is given little to work with in terms of character motivation, Gretchen Mol does a decent job. As to the other actors, it's a bad sign when the process of acting becomes so evident that one is more aware of the actor than the character. Disappointing.
Review of The Notorious Bettie Page
