Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché

"This restless film is hardly content to present a portrait of an icon, instead insisting, with compassion and clear eyes, that icons are all too human too."

"(A) riveting and valuable documentary..."

"The film is especially sensitive to the complexities of racial identity, as Styrene was herself."

"Poignant..."

"The fact that Poly remains appealing despite her antisocial tendencies is down to the careful tonal balance that the film strikes."

"Bell’s decision to share the focus and to examine her relationship with her mother... (brings) an intimacy and tenderness to the rock documentary format."

"The film’s secret weapon is its candour — about Britain, the music business, mental health and the subject herself."

"When your film features the ironic subtitle I Am a Cliché... the last thing you want is hackneyed writing. But there it is."