No. 20: Tosh Recommends... Joe Berardi, Martin Margiela, and Sally Potter
Joe Berardi - Minor Miracles and Major Epiphanies (Berardi's Bandcamp page)
The cinematic score is for the imagination than the big screen. Joe Berardi represents everything good in the Los Angeles music world and beyond. Exotica instrumentation, twangy guitar sounds, a Morricone-like vibe, and a touch of prog here and there. I close my eyes while listening and dream of eating Italian ice cream in Pasolini’s Rome, just around the corner from where Fellini lives. The sound is moderne but with a twist of reality popping its head once in a while. And as a writer (that I am), this music is good to go with putting words on a page.
Last night I saw a fascinating documentary on the MUBI channel on the designer Martin Margiela, called Martin Margiela: In His Own Words, directed by Reiner Holzemer, 2019. Like Alexander McQueen, Margiela went beyond fashion; even though he sees himself as a ‘fashion designer,’ he’s highly conceptual in his work and clothes. Another ‘plus’ factor is he doesn’t like to be photographed. He lets his work speak for itself. I can admire that in any medium an artist chooses to work in—a delightful movie. You can see it here if you’re a subscriber to MUBI: Martin Margiela In His Own Words.
The Party, Sally Potter, 2017
One incident after another at a birthday party that went totally the wrong way. Highly literate, wonderfully acted by the entire cast, and kind of the dark side of a PG Wodehouse narrative, this is a terrific film. I’m also very fond of the Timothy Spall character Bill, who has excellent taste in music. Another MUBI-streamed movie. If you are a subscriber, see it here: The Party by Sally Potter.
