Anthony Minghella (1954-2008)

Writer/director Anthony Minghella (most famous for The English Patient and Cold Mountain) has died at 54 years of age of a brain hemorrhage after a medical procedure. Condolences to his family. It's so sad. He's pictured to the left here with two of his (presumably) favorite actors Jude Law (who we were just discussing) and Juliette Binoche --both of whom he worked with repeatedly and directed to Oscar nominations.

The next couple of years were going to be busy for this multi-hypenate talent and Oscar winner who leaned toward literary adaptation. He was producing this year's Oscar hopeful The Reader. He had recently announced his next project, another adaptation, of the novel The Ninth Life of Louis Drax and had just completed the promising adaptation of the book franchise The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency for a possible television series. No word yet on whether Minghella finished his segment of the upcoming New York, I Love You (a follow up of sorts to Paris Je T'Aime) where he was one of several filmmakers doing vignettes. Some other names who will be featured in the omnibus project include The Hughes Brothers, Scarlett Johansson (her debut behind the camera), Mira Nair, Brett Ratner, and Fatih Akin (Head-On).

My personal favorite Minghella is also his first Truly Madly Deeply (1990, but released stateside in 1991). That's one film I always feel safe recommending to anyone. It's a really heartfelt romantic dramedy from the tiny romantic comedy subgenre of dead lover helps still living partner move on with life. You've seen a few of them in your life but none are as good as Truly Madly Deeply. Minghella was always a strong actor's director and Juliet Stevenson, the lead, is marvelous. Alan Rickman plays her dead lover. She probably would have been on my Oscar ballot in 1991, had I an Oscar ballot to scribble on.

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