ROTTEN TOMATOES: Anthony Minghella: 1954-2008

Anthony Minghella: 1954-2008

Rest in peace, Mr. Minghella.

by Jeff Giles | March 18, 2008

Anthony Minghella, the Oscar-winning director of The English Patient, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Cold Mountain, has passed away at the age of 54.

The Associated Press is reporting the news, which has been confirmed by Minghella's agent, Judy Daish. According to the AP, no other details are available, but Variety is reporting that Minghella "suffered a brain hemorrhage at 5 A.M. Tuesday at Charing Cross Hospital in London, where he had undergone a routine operation on his neck."

Minghella's career Tomatometer rating of 70 percent reflects the relatively consistent critical esteem that his films enjoyed. 1996's The English Patient was nominated for a dozen Academy Awards and took home nine, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress in a Supporting Role. The writer-director's 2006 film Breaking and Entering debuted at the Toronto Film Festival, where our cameras caught him on the red carpet (left). Minghella was most recently in Botswana, working on an adaptation of Alexander McCall Smith's novel, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency which is set to debut on BBC1 next week.

Source: Associated Press
Source: Variety

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(1-20 of 31 posts) | Reply

Tumey writes:
on Mar 18 2008 08:01 AM

Wow, this is a shock; tragic death.

(Reply to this)

aifan writes:
on Mar 18 2008 08:08 AM

Ledger, Minghella, not good. Mr. Ripley is great, everything Minghella touched exuded a kind of European exoticism, as if it wasn�t part of our everyday experience as citizens of "the West". I will truly miss him.

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Bloody Mathias writes:
on Mar 18 2008 08:10 AM

The English Patient is his masterpiece.
He will be remembered for it for a long time.

RIP

(Reply to this)

donwillymo writes:
on Mar 18 2008 08:22 AM

His movies were too *****ing long!!! I would've liked to have seen his work but I have a life...maybe the academy will forget him like they did brad renfro when they do the tribute

(Reply to this)

bigbrother writes:
on Mar 18 2008 09:09 AM

In reply to this comment (#1639825)
Nice, way to demonstrate what's wrong with the movie going public.

P.S. your claims of "Having a life" are fooling no one.

(Reply to this)

nathanpoitras writes:
on Mar 18 2008 09:27 AM

Well said bigbrother. I'm a big fan of The Talented Mr.Ripley and Cold Mountain, but I suspect his best work was yet to come. A real shame.

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rambo- killer #2 writes:
on Mar 18 2008 09:38 AM

Too bad. incredibly talented man.

(Reply to this)

fnord68 writes:
on Mar 18 2008 09:46 AM

Bad news.I am yet to see Cold Mountain and as it is on demand on my t.v i think i'll watch it later.
r.i.p

(Reply to this)

arendr writes:
on Mar 18 2008 10:10 AM

Shame.

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Poor_Frisco writes:
on Mar 18 2008 10:30 AM

i loved the talented mr. ripley. he will be missed.
RIP

(Reply to this)

Bardego writes:
on Mar 18 2008 10:36 AM

I was never a huge fan of Minghella's films, but it sucks that he died when he was only 54.

(Reply to this)

axebox writes:
on Mar 18 2008 10:42 AM

Talented Mr. Ripley is an amazing film.

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AnnaKo writes:
on Mar 18 2008 10:50 AM

I almost can't stand this sudden and tragic loss of first-class talent - first Ledger, now, one of the world's most gifted filmmaker. 54 is way too young for a man who still has so much to offer the world - our great loss... I miss him already.

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AnnaKo writes:
on Mar 18 2008 10:51 AM

Tragic, because neither were expecting to die... I think...

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dracus writes:
on Mar 18 2008 10:54 AM

I really enjoyed Mr. Ripley but thought Cold Mountain was overated. As for The English Patient, well, let's not go there. I agree with a lot of the other posters though, his death is a shame since his best was yet to come.

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markbart0305 writes:
on Mar 18 2008 11:34 AM

I am shocked and saddened at this news. I had enormous respect for this talented filmmaker. His films had a lasting impression on me. The English Patient is still one of my favorite movies of all time, although I didn't think much of it at all when I first saw it. It was through repeated viewings when I began to experience the power of that film, through its emotions and characters. His films are like fine wine; not only do they get better with age, but you must fully embrace them in order to experience what makes them great. He was one of the truly great old-fashioned filmmakers of our time. His films exuded a romanticism and style that's sadly lacking in many films today. He will be missed.

(Reply to this)

ambientcafe writes:
on Mar 18 2008 11:47 AM

In reply to this comment (#1640112)
'markbart0305' is spot on with his comment. I love both The English Patient & The Talented Mr. Ripley equally, but I think 'Patient' is his centerpiece. I'll be revisiting both these films soon with renewed appreciation. I hope to see both these titles on BluRay eventually.

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jaredisme writes:
on Mar 18 2008 12:04 PM

Good night good sir...

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Rusticrub writes:
on Mar 18 2008 12:52 PM

so what's the dealio....what'd he die from???

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AnnaKo writes:
on Mar 18 2008 12:55 PM

English Patient was poetry come alive onscreen. Ondaatje was and still is a poet-writer of genius, and I honestly dont think anyone else could've done justice to his work, the way Minghella did. Minghella had a great feeling for the landscape of the human heart, and I think that's why he could translate it so well on film. The barren desert for the condition of a heart that thought it was unloved. True, there are many very gifted directors out there but how many are there who have his particular combination of artistry and humanity... he is a very fine specimen of mankind, among the very best... and I so wish I could write him back to life :(

(Reply to this)