Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché
Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché is a 2021 documentary film about Poly Styrene, the lead singer of X-Ray Spex.[2] Directed by Celeste Bell and Paul Sng, the film features Bell, Poly Styrene's daughter, exploring her mother's history and legacy through archival footage and interviews with her peers and fans.[3]
Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché | |
---|---|
Directed by | Celeste Bell Paul Sng |
Written by | Celeste Bell Zoë Howe |
Produced by | Rebecca Mark-Lawson Daria Nitsche Matthew Silverman |
Cinematography | Nick Ward |
Edited by | Xanna Ward Dixon |
Music by | Marina Elderton |
Production companies | Generation Indigo Films Polydoc Films Tyke Films Velvet Joy Productions |
Distributed by | Modern Films Pacific Northwest Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 134 minutes |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Box office | 53,940[1] |
The film features narration of Poly Styrene's personal diaries by actress Ruth Negga.[4]
The film premiered at the Glasgow Film Festival on 27 February 2021,[5] in advance of its commercial release on a digital platform on 5 March.[4]
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 98% of 54 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché pays worthy tribute to its trailblazing subject with a documentary that honors her life as engagingly as it chronicles her career."[6]
Accolades
At the British Independent Film Awards 2021, the film won the award for Best Documentary and the Raindance Discovery Award.[7]
The film was the winner of the Documentary Award at the 2021 Whistler Film Festival.[8]
References
- "Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché (2022)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- Joe Lynch (17 March 2021). "'Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché' Doc Explores Punk Trailblazer In All Her Contradictions". Billboard.
- Peter Bradshaw (5 March 2021). "Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché review – riveting take on British punk heroine". The Guardian.
- Charlotte Krol (26 February 2021). "'Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché': Watch exclusive trailer for film on punk icon". NME.
- Wendy Ide, "‘Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliche’: Glasgow Review". Screen Daily, 27 February 2021.
- "Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- Nadia Khomami, "After Love dominates British independent film awards". The Guardian, 5 December 2021.
- Charlie Smith, "Cinema of Sleep wins Borsos award for best Canadian feature at Whistler Film Festival". The Georgia Straight, 20 December 2021.