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It's a trivial character to play, but Mol gamely handles it, stripping down to recreate Page's most famous pin-ups, and clambering into bondage to act out her more "specialized" pictorials. It's a strong performance and, if she missteps anywhere, it's only in going a little too easy on Page's thick accent - the one thing that barred her from a more standard acting career.

The Notorious Bettie Page beautifully recreates the 1950s in its art direction, costume design and cinematography. Harron focuses on the surface personality traits that made her an irresistible subject, rather than attempt a full psychological portrait. Filming primarily in black and white, Harron re-creates a ’50s that is compatible with other depictions of the period. But neither Turner nor Harron manages to truly reveal poor Bettie. It is, rather, lead actress Gretchen Mol’s astonishing transformation into Page that single-handedly makes the picture worth seeing.