100
In a genre often saturated with sugar-coated stories and selective memories, Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché proves to be anything but.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
80
An affectionate labour of love, cathartic yet bitterly honest, Bell and Sng’s films paints the full, unfettered picture.
80
The Guardian by Peter Bradshaw
[A] riveting and valuable documentary.
80
As the story progresses, Bell’s decision to share the focus and to examine her relationship with her mother makes more sense, bringing an intimacy and tenderness to the rock documentary format.
Poly Styrene is an incredibly underrated icon of punk music, and this documentary-- which was co-directed by her daughter-- absolutely did her justice. She was a complicated person, so it was so great to finally see her story told with so much compassion. The usage of archival material and diary entries from Poly herself really deepened my understanding of her.