The acclaimed American actor – known for Catch-22, Little Miss Sunshine and Edward Scissorhands – has died at the age of 89. Here we look back at his long and varied career
January 2017
La La Land and Hollywood's everlasting love affair with itself
The LA-set musical is well set for Oscars glory after a record-breaking Golden Globes sweep but is it really proof that the film industry is self-obsessed?
September 2016
Why Hollywood musical La La Land will follow Argo and The Artist to the Oscars
Whiplash director Damien Chazelle’s meta musical has won the Toronto film festival but its red carpet to the Academy Awards was already secure: Hollywood loves nothing more than a movie about how magical it is
July 2016
Real-life ice cream van battle set for big-screen treatment
Writer of Argo to produce film about a culturally revealing war between Mexican and American lolly-sellers in Salem, Oregon
May 2015
Hollywood studios sued for recycling old movie soundtracks
A new lawsuit claims that classic film scores have been illegally reused in films from Bridesmaids to Argo
October 2014
Paul Greengrass heading into the Berlin Wall tunnels for real-life escape drama
British director’s next movie to be adaptation of forthcoming 1960s-set novel about west Germans trying to smuggle relatives from the east with the help of US TV crews
Box office analysis: global
Global box office: Dracula Untold too bloodless to raise opening stakes
An unproven lead and high costs could scupper Universal’s monster franchise, while Gone Girl shows topical staying power in Phil Hoad’s weekly report
Five best moments
Ben Affleck: five best moments
We look at five of the Gone Girl star’s most memorable performances to date. But which would you put on your own list?
July 2014
Toronto film festival 2014 programme release kicks off 2015 Oscar race
• Premieres for biopics of Beach Boys and Stephen Hawking • Meaty roles for Adam Sandler, Michael Douglas, Richard Gere • Closing night film is Kate Winslet period drama A Little Chaos
August 2013
Week in geek
Could Ben Affleck be the hero Superman vs Batman needs?
Ben Child: Fans are horrified by the Argo director's casting in Zack Snyder's film – but he could add a surprisingly cerebral touch
April 2013
George Clooney and Grant Heslov to reunite with Argo journo on new film
Coronado High, about teen drug smugglers in San Diego, to be based on another article by same journalist who inspired Argo
March 2013
Argo won the Oscar, but Zero Dark Thirty is a far more serious work of art
Deborah Orr
In Argo, Ben Affleck doesn't offer the US more truth about itself than it can bear. Kathryn Bigelow's film is much more complex and demanding
February 2013
Oscars 2013 critics' review: 'They spread the riches and threw in some curveballs' - video
Argo wins best picture despite no director nomination for Affleck
Oscars 2013: Chris Terrio wins best adapted screenplay for Argo
Best picture Oscar hustings
Oscars 2013: Why Argo should win best picture - video
The Guardian film show
Oscars 2013: who will win … and why - video
Oscars watch 2013
2013 Oscars: with so many awards locked up, are there any surprises left?