Anthony Minghella RIP

Sean says...

Anthony Minghella

Film director Anthony Minghella has died at the age of 54. At this time, no cause was given for his death.  He is survived by his wife Carolyn Choa Minghella and his son, actor Max Giorgio Choa Minghella.  Minghella is best known for his 9-time Oscar winning film The English Patient. 

The English Patient

His other work included The Talented Mr. Ripley, Truly Madly Deeply, Cold Mountain, and Breaking and Entering.  Minghella's films have been given a ribbing recently and for good reason in at least their length and plotting. However, Minghella had a gift for capturing the look, feel, and tone of 1950s and 1960s romanticism - even improving on it.  His vision of film really captured the power of love and its pull on our hearts. Sometimes a bit repetitive.  His repeat of the line "Come back to me!" in both Patient and Cold Mountain as motivation for his characters haunted my viewing of Joe Wright's Atonement (which he made a cameo in as the interviewer of Vanessa Redgrave) this year especially.  But the man had a beauty in his eye and a style that I really will miss.

Anthony Minghella with Oscar

The Talented Mr Ripley

To me the brilliance of The Talented Mr Ripley in its tone, scope, framing, and acting will be for me his true film achievement although some of the beautiful moments in Patient and the introduction of Juliette Binoche properly to American audiences will also be eternally thanked.