Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché

As a fan of X-ray Spex and Poly Styrene's solo work, I put off watching this for quite a while... Not wanting to mar my own long-held opinions of an incredible woman I never knew. OK, I was too young for X-Ray Spex at the time but did see Poly Styrene Brixton Academy in '91.

Celeste has given us a privileged peek into her mother's journey.

I had followed Poly Styrene's career and knew at a surface level her breakdowns. But wow this was raw. I Am a Cliche powerfully walks us through all that, both from Poly's perspective and also a child's innate needs-based perspective.

Watching this (eventually!) I celebrated the gigs and the interviews, and I sobbed through the struggles.

A unique approach was the use of interviewees as voice overs on scenes and footage, rather than seeing lots of talking heads that is common on similar tributes. This ensured the viewer's focus remained on the subjects, not the commentators.

A superb work of art. Not what everyone expected (from some of the reviews I've read). Highs of exuberance of creativity against an underlying unease of societal pressure and judgement. No one created good art to make people feel comfortable. Well done to Celeste, not only her mother's daughter, but the creative woman she has become both because of and despite her mother's creativity, receptiveness and vulnerability... and primarily from her own creativity, recognition of her own self worth and determination to define herself and know her needs. It's a wonderful tribute and a sensitive declaration of how a child of a revered person has their own truth to speak.

Big up marvellous audacity, bravery, and generally not giving two hoots what anyone else thinks.

While there ain't no answers from the cotton wool clouds, I Am a Cliche does answer questions of how an incredible woman influenced so many, while navigating being human with her own personal circumstances and cultural history. Just beautiful.

I'm reasonably clued up when it comes to the origins of punk. I know Poly Styrene and X-Ray Spex, but only really as fronting a great band. This goes deeper, her story told by Celeste Bell, her daughter. It's very personal with Bell narrating, slowly going through Poly's belongings and history, an impressive archive of her life. Marion Elliot. Brixton. Late 70s. Mixed race, confused in a volatile society fuelled by hatred and the NF. She was a fighter. Proud, defiant, but still with a youthful fragility. If punk was about anything, it was taking a stand and claiming an identity and Poly managed that brilliantly in what's still a almost exclusively male world. Poly was more punk than most, she was clearly having a blast, but it still meant something. A pure DIY ethic. Home made clothes, hand drawn album art. Certainly more punk than half the hangers on that the scene created. It's mostly made up of photos, old footage, lyrics on scraps of paper, all with the occasional respite of Bell looking wistfully over books, trying on clothes, visiting locations that tie the narrative together. There's plenty of music, live clips, easily proving her punk icon status and a roll call of names all singing her praises, Kathleen Hanna, Don Letts, John Cooper Clark, Pauline Black, band members and family. These voices together with Poly (Ruth Negga bringing Poly to life via her diaries) and Celeste make up the backbone and give it a real honesty and authenticity. Sadly it's not in any way as original as Poly, but it's enjoyable and informative. Much in the same way White Riot is about the Rock Against Racism gig that X-Ray Spex played. Poly's story is interesting, both from the band perspective, the music and the person. The vacuousness of fame, fake and plastic, ultimately finding weaknesses that would haunt her. It takes a toll. Thought that she went mad. Diagnosed with schizophrenia instead of bipolar, aged 21. She wound up in a psyche ward, tranquillised. It's really sad, not only for Poly, but for Celeste recounting the feelings of her 4 year old self. Forced to walk away for herself after just 1 record. She recognised what she needed to do to survive. Continuing to write, there was a solo album that didn't do well and Poly was dropped by EMI. A career over, married with a child at 24, looking for an anchor and finding one with the Hare Krishna via a trip to India. An about turn perhaps, but one that worked for a time. There's not much music left behind, but this proves there was a life fully lead. Thrown a myriad of obstacles from that formative racism to the cancer that took her. Remarkable woman.

What an incredible woman. This documentary was great but it could have been up there with the best if it hadn't been marred by the commentary of her bland, self obsessed monotone daughter who missed so many opportunities by focussing attention on herself. I guess the irony of her making 'I am a cliche' would have been lost in her.

This documentary is a lovely insight into who poly styrene was when she wasn't on stage. The documentary is not too focused on the daughter, she was a massive part of poly's life and poly had been dead for 10 years when the documentary was realised so its not like they could have just asked her for more information to put into the documentary. Id have loved to seen more about the other members of X-ray spex but the documentary is ment to be about just poly styrene so that's ok.

If you think calling the film "I Am a Cliché" is rude then you clearly no absolutely nothing about X-ray spex or poly styrene. X-ray spex made a song called "i am a cliché" that's where the name is from.

Up front I'll admit I was already a fan of X-Ray Spex from years back, and loved some of their tunes. Over the years I'd seen lots of references to the influcence that Poly Styrene had on the evolution of various strands of music in particular 'Grrrl Power' music from which there's been lots of great music.

So this documentary was one I was looking forward to, and much credit to the creators of this documentary they have created a mostly honest documentary that shows her life from beginning to end. Led & narrated by her daughter, it takes us through generations that were unique in the pre-internet days.

It mostly avoids hagiography although is partisan in its outlook on. The documentary fairly shows a warts 'n all side to her, as she made her mistakes as all do. This is no reality TV show with heartbreaking melodrama but a genuine story of a person, of an era and the good & bad that came through that Punk era.

She survived, but sadly is no longer with us.

Would I recommend this? To anyone who is interested in the Punk, Indie & New Wave alternative scenes, then I'd say very much "YES". It's no utopia but that's what makes it interesting.

As said, it will definitely be for those from a certain generation and also who share a love of the indie scene music. A great honest tribute to a very unique & interesting alternative artist.