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Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché

Country: united_kingdom

Year: 2022

Running time: 96

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7206446/reference

Chris says: “As the female, biracial lead singer for the British punk band X-Ray Spex, Poly Styrene was an undeniable trailblazer: self-styled and decked out in braces, she sang/shouted her own provocative lyrics and was briefly a counterculture star. This is not only an overview of that career and how it was cut short by mental illness, forays into cult religion and death from breast cancer at age 54 but also an attempt at reconciling her public and private persona by her daughter, Celeste Bell, who co-directs and also appears onscreen as the primary narrator and guide.

“Most of the film is archival footage accompanied by audio interviews and while it would’ve been nice to actually see some of the interviewees, it enables one to simultaneously consider how the viewer perceives the subject in light of what’s said about her. Less successful is the extensive focus on Bell herself, whose presence is often welcome but just as often comes off as incredibly self-indulgent. At 97 minutes, it’s still too long, although the final section in India is effective and moving. 3.5 cats
“Screened at IFFBoston 2021”
Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché

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