Bettie Page — born into poverty, unwanted by her mother, and molested by her father — came within one-quarter point of being her high-school Valedictorian, an honor that would have carried with it a four-year college scholarship. Instead, she wound up in a brief, bad marriage — her first of several disastrous couplings — survived an oral gang rape, and eventually, got discovered by the flesh-friendly camera clubs of the 1940s. They saw something in her besides the nudity — some spark, some indomitable sense of fun — and it wasn't long before she was the darling of the pinup world. She made even bondage look like a lark. But while youth fades, its traumas often do not. Director Mark Mori has plenty of Page-flavored eye-candy to offer, but beyond that, the visuals are drudgery. Ditto the talking heads. What moves things is the audio from Page herself, aged but very much alive, good-naturedly narrating the frequently unhappy proceedings. (2012) — Matthew Lickona
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