AP reports:
Read it here.
LONDON - Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella, who turned such literary works as "The English Patient," "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "Cold Mountain" into acclaimed movies, died Tuesday of a hemorrhage following surgery. He was 54.
Minghella's publicist, Jonathan Rutter, said the filmmaker died at London's Charing Cross Hospital. He said Minghella was operated on last week for a growth in his neck, "and the operation seemed to have gone well. At 5 a.m. today he had a fatal hemorrhage."
I didn't always like his work product -- "Cold Mountain" was uneven, spoiled by the eccentricity of some..., well, all of its stars; "Mr Ripley" was doomed by the fact that its star, Matt Damon, can't act; but on two occasions Minghella worked with first rate talent and the result was magic. "Truly, Madly, Deeply" is a charming riff on the conceit of true, undying love, brilliantly acted by Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman -- "The English Patient" is a gorgeous reprise of and response to "Casablanca". It won nine academy awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Who knows what other wonders Minghella might have produced. Too bad he was taken so young.
Tonight I think I'll load up "English Patient" and watch it again.
