Once Upon a Time in Hal Ghaxaq
I just don’t believe it. I’ve remarked repeatedly, to myself, to others and here on this website, that Franco Debono really, but really, puts me in mind of a character from early 20th-century Jewish/Italian New York City gangland. The looks, the moves, the mannerisms, the behaviour, the way of speaking, the attitude…
The particular film I had in mind, though I never mentioned it, is Once Upon A Time in America. There are others, but every time I watch Franco my mind goes to that film in particular. It’s as though he’s walked straight out of it.
It happened again this morning, when I watched him walking through a Valletta square looking as though he had a bad case of St Anthony’s fire in his unmentionables.
Now somebody’s sent me a screenshot of his Facebook page, and guess what? His only favourite film listed is….Once Upon A Time in America.
I have the strangest, oddest feeling that he has watched it many times and modelled himself on one of the characters. And I bet it’s the character played by Robert De Niro. Either that, or when he watched it for the first time, he thought ‘there I am’, and it became his top film.
God, I just don’t believe it. This is amazing.
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I would have thought that ‘Taxi Driver’ is in Franco’s league especially when Robert De Niro looks at the mirror and says “Are you talking to me?” repeatedly.
Exactly my thoughts.
Franco Stein would fit right into this film. Albeit, as one of the minor characters. I imagine him as one of the sleazy, vicious little men who is finally ‘rubbed out’ for overstepping his duties and attempting to take over the ‘operation’.
Once upon a time in Hal Ghaxaq, there was a little child who saw another boy, about 4 years older than him, practising the priedka tat-tifel.
The little child thought to himself “Hmmm, I can do that. I’m a top student, a tifel biezel, a high achiever. I want to do that.”
After throwing a tantrum, the parish priest replaced the 8 year old boy with the little child, and a soap box.
Ever since that Christmas, the little child, who is now almost 40, has been looking around, seeing others going on with their life roles, and he’s been thinking to himself: “Hmm, I can do that. I’m a top student, a tifel biezel, a high achiever. I want to do that,” and throwing tantrums, whilst someone else brings him a soap box.
And we have been compelled to listen to the priedka tat-tifel over and over again.
Not fair. Love the film, love the soundtrack. You’ve gone and ruined it.
He likes the Red Hot Chili Peppers too. That might explain the apparent “bad case of St Anthony’s fire in his unmentionables”.
“Lives in Valletta”: probably he believes that as he’s an MP that’s his home address too. Sounds as territorial as a bloodhound to me.
I was about to point out the same thing.
He’s definitely a lot more James Woods’ character than De Niro’s. Very destructive, completely untrustworthy and lets nothing get between him and more power.
I thought he was an Inter supporter?
Franco Debono aside, Once Upon a Time in America is one of the all-time greats.
Meta konna tfal u kont nara xi film hekk, naqra mqareb, missieri kien jghidli thalliex il film jaghmel bik – jigiefieri jimpressjonak u tipprova ‘timita’ dak li tara.
Pero nahseb li li Franco Debono il-film favorit tieghu ghamel bih, ghallinqas mil-pozi u l-mutteti hekk jidher.
What car does he drive?
A chick car.
Robert De Niro didn’t do haiku.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120612/local/debono-motion-aimed-to-spark-reforms-in-justice-and-home-affairs.424022
Funny how he seems to champion the police force but conveniently ignores the legal profession and the media when it comes to consultation to the reforms and their nature.
If he thinks a proposal made in parliament, excluding the opinion of those directly involved, nevertheless certain fundamentals essential to the democratic enrichment of a society, should suffice, he’s in for a surprise.
How he didn’t see it coming, where both sides, one hopes, of the house will thread carefully, leaving him to wage his holy war on the media, is enough to exonerate him from any contact with public opinion.
If he backs down, he’s finished as well.
Haiku? Surely you mean “hara-kiri” – a haiku is a form of poem.
“Either that, or when he watched it for the first time, he thought ‘there I am’, and it became his top film.”
Maybe he saw himself in the role of “Cockeye” Stein.
How many of his 4993 friends live in his constituency?
How many of them are Laburisti and are on his Facebook simply to egg him on and when they are done with him will discard him and even go to the extent of calling him ‘nuts’?