James Gandolfini/Tony Soprano’s “Life is Short”: 1961 – 2013

by Pier Marton | Jun 20, 2013 | Antisemitism, Jewish, Middle-East | 2 comments

An Israeli commercial with James Gandolfini:

Tight-rope walking?
After borrowing $200,000 from Hesh and then conveniently ignoring the fact that he owes him the money, Hesh applies mild pressure on Tony to repay the loan, Tony teasingly – and insultingly – makes one of his payments by putting the money in a sandwich bag and tossing it at Hesh, then rubbing two coins together and saying, “I got some spare change here, too.”

From Why are Israelis so obsessed with Tony Soprano? – by Allison Kaplan Sommer in Haaretz.

2 Comments

Anne-Sophie on June 21, 2013 at 9:56 am

I could not make up what is said in the second clip. I like the first video, but it is eerie… Thank you for posting this.
- Pier Marton on June 23, 2013 at 11:05 am
  
  It is specifically that finger movement creating “the sound of money” that is key to this scene’s violence.

News & Olds

BREAK THE SURFACE
_______________________________

To ride the unbalance* between:
1. excellence and a kind, singular and porous identity that contains some of the scruples, humor, humility, musicality & the beauty of a harsh and confusing, yet benign and rich reality – away from distractions.
2. the stupidity and blindness of complacency, violence, injustice, pretense, egos, short-term… wishful… and group “thinking,” and empty talk – in all of their surprising embodiments. And the false sense of fullness all of this provides.
_______________________________
An appeal for a world NOT so caught up in anthropo/ego/euro/ethno/oculo/esthetico -CENTRISM.
_______________________________
1. Beware of those who claim to be strong – they are often dangerous.
2. Unmask the hoax of “centrality” – ask an “EX-centric” for assistance?
3. Perceive the arrogance of normalcy: everybody, in one way or another, is handicapped… which brings us back to 1.
_______________________________
*Not unrelated to “There is beauty and there are the humiliated. Whatever difficulties the enterprise may present, I should like never to be unfaithful either to the second or the first.” — Albert Camus