Bruce. Freaking. Robinson. I don’t want to mince words, on this, the day of The Back Row’s triumphant return (and with an all-new, hip look!), but if there is one director whom I absolutely worship, it’s Bruce Robinson. Robinson began his career in show business as an actor, studying at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, and his first film role was as Benvolio in Franco Zeffirelli’s adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Robinson also had the good fortune of working with Francois Truffaut on the film The Story of Adele H. However, after several years struggling to find work as an actor, he began to focus more on screenwriting, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay The Killing Fields. In 1987, Robinson took on the mantle of director as well and created one of my favourite films of all time: Withnail & I, which was based in part on his experiences as a struggling actor living in squalor and drinking far too much. Robinson then directed How To Get Ahead In Advertising, another movie that I love, and the film Jennifer 8, which was unfortunately not well-recieved. He soon became once again disenfranchised with show business, and after writing the scripts for Return to Paradise and In Dreams, he decided to retire altogether. That is, until 2011 when Robinson returned to directing for the adaptation of the Hunter S. Thompson novel The Rum Diary starring Johnny Depp. Robinson has once again taken leave of the film industry, however a comic novella that he wrote has been adapted into the film A Fantastic Fear of Everything starring Simon Pegg. Oh, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Robinson’s awesome acting turn in the 1998 film Still Crazy. Bruce Robinson turns 67 today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HCWedWuscI