When you hear 'British period drama,' two of the first names you're likely to think of are Hugh Grant and Helena Bonham Carter, and both of them are here in Maurice. Released in 1987, this is several years before Grant would become well-known (and somewhat typecast) for his performance in the global hit 'Four Weddings and a Funeral.'
This is a classic tale, based on the work of novelist E. M. Forster, and recounting a story of illicit and forbidden gay love in England during the early years of the 20th century. Grant plays central character Maurice Hall over many years of his life, taking him from his formative years at school to the day he meets and falls in love with the man he's destined to spend his life with. So scandalous was the original novel when it was written in 1914 that Forster left explicit instructions that it wasn't to be published until after his death!
To insure one’s house, one’s car or to underwrite a life insurance policy, that is common practice. But who would pay an insurance premium for his/her thumb, legs or smile? Stars, of course.
At the top of the ranking are the legs of Mariah Carey, worth 810 million USD: The diva became, in 2006, the Gillette brand muse for the advertising campaign «Legs of a Goddess». She then took out an insurance policy with London Lloyds to protect her legs, a decision that is far from being insignificant. Among its customers, the London insurer then included several icons of music, such as Bob Dylan or Rod Stewart.
David Beckham’s body insured for 195 million USD: European champion with Manchester United in 1999, David Beckham was in 2006 the most renowned footballer of the planet. In relation to his sporting activities, he took out an insurance cover for his legs. The huge amount paid for his insurance would reportedly exceed the 103 million USD disbursed by Real Madrid for the cover of Christiano Ronaldo in 2009. The fashion model would later extend his insurance cover to his entire body.
15 million USD in insurance for Kim Kardashian’s curves: The curves of Kim Kardashian are her number one beauty asset. The reality TV star, who is crazy about plastic surgery, has underwritten an insurance policy worth 15 million USD to protect her famous butt.
The culinary critic Egon Ronay assured his taste buds: The famous Hungarian culinary critic has insured his taste buds since 1957, for the amount of 400 000 USD. An original insurance policy which allows him to cover his sense of taste without which he will no longer be able to practice his job.