Sean Penn

In a year when its hypocrisy has been more evident than usual, Hollywood seemed depressed at having so little diversity to celebrate.

Argentina, the world press tells us, intends to rename its top soccer league the “Cruiser General Belgrano First Division”, in honour of the Argentine ship sunk by the Royal Navy during the 1982 Falklands War. Far be it from any outsider to prescribe how a country honours its war dead, but honour is not what the move is about: it’s part of a continuing, exhausting barrage of Falklands agitprop from Argentina’s Kirchner government. Kirchner is scrambling to keep Argentine economic growth rolling, barracking businesses and workers in the classic caudillo manner as inflation outpaces the dubious official statistics. She has tried, with some success, to close off Southern Hemisphere ports to boats flying the maritime flag of the Falklands and to weld traditionally UK-friendly neighbours into a regional bloc against “colonialism”. Tensions are high and the Falkland Islanders are feeling besieged.

From average Joes like Dennis Manuge to celebs like Kate Winslet

A festival that bridged the gap between art house and audience

Best Actor looks like a duel between two Hollywood stars who handpicked their European directors

Newsmakers Feuds

Robert Downey Jr. plays it straight, and gives stoner boy Zach Galifianakis a master class in acting

As Valerie Plame Wilson, a secret agent with twins, Naomi Watts plays the all-American spy mom

From the Summer ’09 Newsmakers family edition

The Academy Awards offers a David-and-Goliath contest for Best Picture

Kate Winslet and Slumdog Millionaire are the night’s big winners

Three decades after his assassination, Harvey Milk escapes Oliver Stone, and gets his due