James Purefoy Movies

Author Anthony Powell's wildly popular series tomes are translated for the small screen in this sweeping miniseries starring Sir John Gielgud and James Purefoy. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

When three angels are sent to earth to help out three troubled souls, their troubles have just begun. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide

A woman anticipating a blessed event suspects the forces of darkness might be involved in this tale of terror. Heather Graham and James Purefoy play a couple who desperately want to have a baby; unfortunately, she has been diagnosed as infertile, and the couple can't afford the medical treatments that might allow her top conceive. Good fortune appears to be smiling on the couple when they are given an opportunity to receive free treatments at a mysterious fertility clinic. The woman is soon the expectant mother of twins, but as her due date draws nearer, she begins to suspect something is wrong, and that she has become the unwilling victim of a pact with evil. Blessed also stars Andy Serkis, Stella Stevens, and David Hemmings. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Another of British television's many Catherine Cookson adaptations, The Tide of Life starred Gillian Kearney as typically Cookson-esque heroine Emily Kennedy. Living in Tyneside in the early 20th century, poor Emily is knocked about by fate and victimized by any number of nasty people -- until, of course, the Right Man comes along. In this instance, the man in question was Larry Birch, played by Ray Stevenson. Also known as Catherine Cookson's The Tide of Life, this three-part, three-hour miniseries originally aired in 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In a village rocked by an earthquake, one family struggles to make a new home for themselves while juggling a variety of personal crises. In a small town in Umbia, an earthquake devastates several neighborhoods, and Paolo Zerenghi (Marco Baliani), the city's deputy mayor, finds himself in charge when the mayor is discovered to be seriously injured. The Zerenghi home is also destroyed in the quake, and Paolo, his wife Stefania (Ornella Muti), and their two children are forced to live in a trailer until their house can be rebuilt -- a cramped situation made all the worse when the Zerenghis are forced to take in aging Mrs. Moccia (Ilaria Occhina) and her handsome son, Giovanni (Valerio Mastrandrea). Agostino (David Bracci), one of the Zerenghi siblings, notices that Stefania and Giovanni seem to be getting along unusually well, and with his parent's relationship showing the strain of Paolo's new responsibilities, he suspects his mother may be straying with the good-looking visitor. Young Agostino is also having romantic problems of his own, having developed a crush on two neighborhood girls, Vale (Margherita Porena) and Tina (Michela Moretti), and now having to choose between one or the other. While Domani is fictional, it was inspired by actual events after a massive earthquake hit the Umbia section of Italy in 1997. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Based on the novel by H.E. Bates, this period drama stars Embeth Davidtz as Bella Ford, a woman living in rural England during the Victorian era. Bella fell victim to Arch Wilson (Greg Wise), a unprincipled man who claimed to be from the nearby village. He seduced her only to vanish without a trace when she became pregnant. When she is outcast after her child is stillborn, a kindly villager named Ben Wainwright (Tom Bell) allows her to stay with his family in exchange for helping with the chores. However, the presence of a young and beautiful woman in the house creates a certain amount of tension between Ben, his wife (Gemma Jones), and sons Jedd (James Purefoy), a soldier; Matty (Kent Anderson), a shoemaker; and Con (Ben Chaplin), a homebody and social misfit. Con takes a shine to Bella and eventually proposes marriage; Bella accepts, but matters become complicated when she discovers that the dastardly Arch has returned to the village. Ismail Merchant served as executive producer. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Freely adapted from a novel by Jane Austen, this period drama is set in the early 1800s, as a girl named Fanny (Hannah Taylor Gordon) is being raised by loving but desperately poor parents. Wanting a better life for Fanny, they send her away to live with her aunts, high-minded Mrs. Norris (Sheila Gish) and drug-addicted Lady Bertram (Lindsay Duncan), who share an estate called Mansfield Park. Fanny joins the family at Mansfield Park, which includes Lady Bertram's husband Sir Thomas (Harold Pinter), who made his money in slaves and West Indian plantations; Sir Thomas's son Tom (James Purefoy), an alcoholic; Tom's intelligent younger brother Edmund (Jonny Lee Miller); and his two sisters, Julia (Justine Waddell) and Maria (Victoria Hamilton). Fanny soon makes friends with Edmund, though she's shown little respect by the rest of the family. In time, Fanny grows to adulthood (now played by Frances O'Connor) and gains skill and poise as a horsewoman while developing her skills as an author. When the stylish but secretive siblings Henry and Mary Crawford (Alassandro Nivola and Embeth Davidtz) arrive at Mansfield Park, romantic sparks begin to fly; the two sisters fight over Henry, while Mary is soon engaged to wed Edmund -- to the disappointment of Fanny, who has fallen in love with him. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The director of Mortal Kombat (1995) adapts another popular video game for the big screen with this gory action thriller. Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez star as Alice and Rain, two members of a commando team assigned to infiltrate the Hive, an underground research laboratory owned by the faceless conglomerate known as the Umbrella Corporation. A bio-engineered virus has been released into the maze-like Hive, turning the facility's employees into mindless, flesh-eating zombies. A single scratch or bite from one of these rampaging ghouls dooms its victim, so the commandos have their work cut out for them as they attempt to reach the Red Queen, the lab's supercomputer -- and their sole hope of halting the spread of the contagion. Before they can complete their mission, however, the soldiers must overcome a variety of deadly obstacles, including mutant dogs, lasers, and a genetically altered beast known as The Licker, whose strength increases with every victim it slays. Alice and Rain also discover that the release of the virus may not have been an accident, and that a cure may exist somewhere in the deadly Hive. Resident Evil co-stars Eric Mabius, James Purefoy, Martin Crewes, and Colin Salmon. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Season Two of the lavish, lusty British historical series Rome begins exactly where Season One left off, with the murder of Julius Caesar on the Ides of March in the year 44 BCE. The power struggle that follows is set in motion when, thanks largely to the machinations of Caesar's scheming niece Atia (Polly Walker), her young and callow son Octavian is announced as heir to the throne--infuriating Caesar's closest ally Marc Antony (James Purefoy). In the war that follows between Antony's "Caesarians" and Octavians "Liberators", there can be only one winner--but it is not until the season concludes in the year 31 BCE that the true winner is revealed. Amidst the intrigues of Rome's high-born power brokers, we never lose sight of the secondary plotline involving two lowly veterans of the Gallic wars, Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson) and Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd). Characteristically, it is the thoroughly hedonistic Pullo who thrives and prospers during this turbulent era, with each stroke of luck advancing his prestigate and wealth. Conversely, Lucius suffers spectacularly throughout season two, beginning with the death of his beloved wife and the distintegration of his family. The ultimate blow will not be dealt to Vorenus until the season finale, but in the meantime much is made of the fact that Gallo has aligned himself with Octavian, and Vorenus casts his lot with Antony. Though scrupulously authentic in its historical detail, Rome continues to successfully pinpoint the most "contemporary" aspects of ancient History. Especially notable this season is the series' depiction of Rome's small but ever-growing Jewish community, and the emergence of "Crip and Blood"-style gang warfare in the treacherous Aventine Collegium district. In a similar vein, after Marc Antony suffers his humiliating defeat at Actium, he retreats to the palace of his Egyptian lover Queen Cleopatra (Lyndsley Marshal), where the two lost souls wallow in debauchery--reminding more than one observer of the equally foredoomed punk-rockers Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A fellow veteran, Mascius (Michael Nardone) approaches Vorenus (Kevin McKidd), now a magistrate, about severance for the 13th Legion. They are supposed to be receiving land. Vorenus asks Caesar (Ciarán Hinds) to act. Caesar, unwilling to give the veterans land in Italy, offers land in Pelonia. Told that this won't be acceptable, and eager to keep the former soldiers on his side, Caesar discreetly suggests that Vorenus bribe Mascius to persuade his comrades to accept the offer. Mascius reluctantly agrees. Caesar also invites Vorenus and Niobe (Indira Varma) to a dinner at Atia's (Polly Walker) home. When Vorenus responds nervously, Caesar tells him, "You shall get used to good society." The walls of Rome are filled with graffiti depicting Brutus (Tobias Menzies) murdering Caesar, and Cassius (Guy Henry) tries to convince Brutus to claim his family's legacy of fighting tyranny. Brutus initially refuses to betray his friend, but has second thoughts when Caesar, well aware of whispers and the power of Brutus' family name, suggests that Brutus rule over far-off Macedonia. Pullo (Ray Stevenson), now miserable and friendless, has found work as an assassin, but his lack of discretion gets him arrested for murder. At Atia's dinner, Octavian (Max Pirkis) suggests that Vorenus or Caesar himself do something to save Pullo, but Caesar points out the political implications such action would cause. Octavian acts on his own, sending Timon (Lee Boardman) to find Pullo a lawyer, but at Pullo's public trial, the crowd demands the brazen killer's head, and Pullo is sentenced to death in the arena. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Sherlock Holmes fans are divided as to who was the best on-camera interpreter of "The Master": Basil Rathbone or Jeremy Brett. Partisans of Brett should get their fill, and more, from the Casebook of Sherlock Holmes TV series. Produced in Britain in the '80s and '90s, these irresistible 60-minute Conan Doyle dramatizations are just as popular in videocassette form as they were when first telecast. In "The Boscombe Valley Mystery," a farmer's son is accused of murdering his father. The circumstantial evidence is all against the boy, but Holmes and Watson (Edward Hardwicke) are seldom inclined to accept matters at face value. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Produced for the BBC in 2001, The Mayor of Casterbridge is the second British miniseries version of Thomas Hardy's 1886 novel (the first was filmed in 1978). This time, Ciarán Hinds stars as Michael Henchard, an unemployed drunkard who, in a moment of greedy delirium, sells his wife, Susan (Juliet Aubrey), and their infant daughter, Elizabeth Jane, to a passing sailor -- for a price of five pounds. Sobering up the next day, Henchard conducts a frenzied search for his family, only to find that they have already gone. Swearing off liquor, Henchard promises to re-invent himself as a solid and dependable citizen. He succeeds so thoroughly in this endeavor that, 18 years later, he has risen to the rank of mayor of Casterbridge. About to make his reformation complete by wedding attractive young Lucetta (Polly Walker), Henchard is aghast to discover that his wife and now-grown daughter (played as an adult by Jodhi May), have returned home. Hounded by his conscience, Henchard bends over backward to make amends to his loved ones -- only to revert to his old, disreputable self when things go terribly wrong. Meanwhile, a new intrigue has blossomed vis-à-vis a romantic triangle involving Elizabeth Jane, Lucetta, and handsome, righteous Donald Farfrae (James Purefoy). The Mayor of Casterbridge made its U.S. debut August 17, 2003, on the A&E cable channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Set over the course of one long stag night before the wedding of Hal (James Purefoy) and Vinni (Susan Vidler), Stag Night is a comedy of errors that presents its audience with a dizzying array of half-baked schemes, compromising positions, and lust-driven machinations. Hal is a womanizing photographer who has cold feet about his impending wedding. With the help of his friend, cartoonist Little Ted (Tony Slattery), he cooks up a plan in which another one of his pals, swimming coach Mr. Mac (Adrian Dunbar), seduces Vinni and thus relieves Hal of his marital obligations. However, Little Ted still nurtures a longing for Vinni, who dumped him awhile back, and thus convinces Mr. Mac's girlfriend, barmaid Petula (Amanda Redman), to seduce Hal into posing for some dodgy Polaroids. To top it all off, Petula's husband is getting increasingly suspicious of his wife's pastimes, Vinni's best friend Cloudah (Victoria Smurfitt) slept with Hal only a couple of days ago, and Vinni, it turns out, has her own reservations about the wedding. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide