But Jim soldiered through and completed The White Countess (2005) with Ralph Fiennes and Vanessa Redgrave and then went on to make T he City Of Your Final Destination in 2009 with Anthony Hopkins, his fourth film starring the talented thespian. Everyone wondered if Jim could continue making movies without the maverick Merchant by his side. When Ismail died unexpectedly in May 2005 after a botched surgery in London, my thoughts went out to Jim, who had lost not only his producing partner but also his life companion. His meticulous attention to detail and nuanced directorial style greatly influenced me and I feel blessed that my formative years were spent learning at the feet of these master filmmakers before I launched my own production company in 1995. Ismail was always flamboyant and gregarious, and Jim mild-mannered and shy, but with a wry sense of humour and an intellect, that I adored. Having graduated with a degree in English literature, it was a joy for me to work on films adapted from the works of E.M. Although, director Luca Guadagnino wants to make a sequel to Call Me by Your Name, Ivory isn’t too keen and says he wouldn’t want to be involved in the same (Getty images) Nobody could refuse the mercurial Ismail and so I dutifully (and happily) dropped out of law college and became an acolyte with the Merchant-Ivory dream team. I was fortunate to work on several Merchant-Ivory movies after Ismail announced one day to my parents that he had decided that I was too intelligent to squander my life as a lawyer. Uncle Ismail and Jim (as James Ivory prefers being called) had been visitors at our home for as long as I can remember. My father and Ismail had been best friends through school and college in Mumbai and later partnered in a film equipment business. But the Oscar had eluded Ivory until this historic moment when he clutched the golden statuette and gave a heartfelt speech paying eloquent tribute to his partner of over 40 years, the late Ismail Merchant. It was an emotional moment for me and for the million fans of this beloved auteur, who has previously been nominated three times in the Best Director category for A Room With A View (1985), Howards End (1992) and The Remains Of The Day (1993).
I was particularly invested in one award category that of Best Adapted Screenplay, and I wept and cheered unabashedly when 89-year-old James Ivory made his way to the Dolby Theatre stage to accept his much-deserved Oscar for Call Me By Your Name. On the morning of March 5 this year, I rose early to watch the live telecast of the 90th Academy Awards.
0 kommentar(er)
