Considering Robert Altman was 81 years of age when he passed away Monday night, I don't suppose his death should be that much of a shock, but it is. He was, up until yesterday, the world's greatest living filmmaker. We don't mourn the passing of a giant whose glory days had been behind him. With a perennial and prolific talent like Altman, we always knew that as long as he was still able to work, he would still be able to deliver a few masterpieces. And regardless of his age, I (or we) had assumed he would be indestructible.
