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1991 - The Last Romantics - Mike Costain    IMDB

F. R. Leavis (Ian Holm), a Cambridge academic who dominated the literary scene in the mid-20th century grapples with his waning influence and the angry rebellion of Mike Costain, who acts as a life-line to the introverted Tulloch (Alan Cumming) Leavis’ favorite pupil. The story slips back and forth from World War I to the present (1970’s) paralleling the twin storylines of Leavis life at the University. Rufus and Alan Cumming sparkle in this early outing with Rufus’ dark and angry intellect stealing the show.

1992 - Gone to Seed - Billy Brooker    IMDB

When the triplets (Jim Broadbent, Warren Clark, Alison Steadman) finally meet their father (Peter Cook) at the age of 43, it’s only natural that he try to dupe them out of the one thing of value their dead mother left to them—their garden shop on the Thames. When the usual methods fail he sends his handsome sophisticated step son Billy (Rufus) to romance the shy Hilda. From the triplets mother who haunts their father in a fountain of water in the sky to the professional wrestling match to raise money to save the garden shop this mini is one hilarious and improbable situation after the next. If you can find it, you won’t regret it.

Paul Reynolds plays Dog, a dreadlocked traveler.  He meets and falls in love with respectable girl Becca (Rachel Weisz) then persuades Becca to give up the nine to five and join him on the road. The couple start to drift apart when Becca must find work to pay the bills and is seduced by her new career (and by the lifestyle and ambitions of her new boss, Rufus Sewell) a yuppie architect with a lovely house and uptight wife. He has slightly hippyish pretensions but his main function is as a contrast to Dog. There is a frisson of potential romance, but nothing comes of it.  He's more of a lifestyle rival to Dog than a love rival. The moral of the story - "Play it safe, never get off the bus."  Huge thanks to Robert for this synopsis~

Harold is obsessed with his past failure with women, his life and the cause of this misery - his old, long lost flatmate and friend, Charlie. Handsome, wild and successful with women, he was everything Harold was not. Charlie made a new life for himself in Wales with Sarah. After two years without hearing from Charlie, Harold gets a puzzling phone call to come down to Wales. Harold, though confused, obeys and is appalled by what he finds. Filmed in Wales and Tufnell Park. Huge thanks to quoll for finding this one~

The costume drama to end all costume dramas, based on George Eliots book of the same name. Handsome but under financed Will Laidslaw is smitten with bookish and rich Dorothea Brooke (Juliet Aubrey) who is soon to be married to his cousin Rev. Edward Casaubon (Patrick Malahide). For the next six hours this story set in the 19th century town of Middlemarch seesaws back and forth over the tribulations of the very wealthy, the nearly wealthy and those abandoned because their mother chose love over position (that’s Rufus). Everything swirls around beautifully and ends up with a nice tidy bow tied into a cravat around Rufus’ neck. This is the one that put him on the map as they say.

1995 - Cold Comfort Farm - Seth Starkadder    IMDB

There have always been Starkadders at Cold Comfort Farm. But not when Robert Poste’s child gets finished. This quirky British comedy is peopled with some of the most colourful and unlikely characters to ever grace the screen, but it’s all in good fun. Rufus plays young Seth, farmhand extraordinaire, who harbors a surprise dream to be a star of the Silver Screen. (Kate Beckinsale, Ian McKellen, Stephen Fry, Joanna Lumley star)

The very best thing about this incarnation of Hank Four is Falstaff played by David Calder. The next is baby Rufus all dressed up in tunic and tights, and spitting like an angry cat. Rufus puts the Hot and Spur in Harry Percy. A few tender moments with his lady are all that counterbalance the relentless driving anger but he nevertheless holds his own well against a cast of seasoned veterans. If you are a fan of the Bard try to find this version that will sweep you into it like a renaissance painting. Favorite scene, Falstaff wearing Hotspur like a cloak after Prince Hal has killed him.

Kind, generous but poor Ali Baba finds a cave full of gold opened by the phrase “open sesame”. Based on the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves from the Arabian Nights, Rufus charms and bumbles his way through this enchanting tale. Be forewarned, if you must buy, this story is a very small portion of the entire DVD. But it’s ‘loveable Rufus’ at his best—a little gem well worth seeing.

Ruthlessness, a beard and a short skirt highlight this offering about the face that launched a thousand ships. The only reason to watch this miscast melodrama is for Rufus who delicately and expertly parlays Agamemnon’s descent into madness into a performance that makes you empathize with his point of view. Best scene in the mini—Rufus explaining to the arrogant and ignorant Helen that nothing will ever make up for the murder of his daughter (he has sacrificed her to the gods for the wind to pursue Helen), not even his own death. If you know the story, skip every scene without Rufus. You won’t regret it.

The life and times of Charles II, one of England’s most colourful and notorious kings. Rufus is brilliant in this mini and gives one sparkling performance after another slipping effortlessly(!) from the private man to the public figure on the turn of a coin. Find the Region 2 version; it has twenty extra minutes you won’t want to miss. (Rupert Graves, Helen McCrory, Shirley Henderson, Ian McDiarmid and Diana Rigg also star)

2005 - Shakespeare Retold - The Taming of the Shrew -  Petruchio    IMDB                                    (BAFTA nomination Best Actor 2005)

Shirley Henderson returns, this time as Katherine in a modern re-telling of the Taming of the Shrew. With a delightful contemporary spin, this version doesn’t miss a trick from the original. But who is finally tamed in this story is the ultimate question. Rufus' boisterous, outrageous Petruchio is not to be missed in his wedding day finery or his merciless torment of his reluctant bride. Love conquers all but great sex doesn’t hurt might be the tagline of this edition.

2006 - 9/11: Out of the Blue - Businessman   IMDB   (RTS PROGRAMME AWARD 2006 for Art)

On the five year anniversary Rufus dramatizes the poem 9/11:Out of the Blue—by Simon Armitage. The impact is immediate and visceral and stands as one of the very best tributes to the people who lost their lives that tragic day. The poem is inner-cut with recollections of several victims who managed to escape and the families of those who were not so lucky.

2008 - John Adams: Join or Die - Alexander Hamilton   IMDB    Official Website  

This 7 part miniseries based on the pulitzer prize winning biography of the same name by David McCullough will be in production for HBO in the United States until July of 2007, after which it will move on to Europe. HBO reports this mini-series will air in 2008. Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney co-star.

2008 - Eleventh Hour - Jacob Hood  IMDB 

Former physics professor Jacob Hood (Rufus) probes the dark side of modern science in this mystery-thriller series. As a special adviser to the US Government, Hood investigates disastrous events and mysteries involving cloning, global warming, cancer cures, deadly viruses, modern-day mad scientists and other cutting-edge science horrors.