Life is a rich tapestry, and its threads are mysterious. For who could have foreseen this most curious of occurrences? Alert the pertinent authorities, because my crush this week is Ben Affleck. How did we get here, in 2014?

I blame 2012’s Argo: the sight of Affleck in luxuriant 70s beard, flared denim and a flash of period man-jewellery reopened the door. The pre-Argo Affleck had an Oscar under his belt, but there was still something off about him; a smile that looked queasy, even in the glory days of his relationship with Jennifer Lopez (remember “Bennifer”? The pair kicked off the celebrity couple portmanteau trend that remains with us to this day). The allure of Argo-era Affleck was his slightly worn in/worn down countenance – several happy steps from the earnest man of Pearl Harbor, and wearing his all-American looks (square jaw, square head) more manfully.

But all that pales in comparison to his latest performance. Not in David Fincher’s Gone Girl, but on Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO. Across the desk from talkshow host Maher and guest Sam Harris, Affleck looks like a coiled spring, his dander steadily rising as they describe Islam as “the only religion that acts like the mafia”, and discount the “meme of Islamophobia”. His response was quietly heroic. “How about more than a billion people who aren’t fanatical, who don’t punch women, who just want to go to school, have some sandwiches, pray five times a day, and don’t do any of the things you’re saying of all Muslims?” he asked. Oh, Ben. You had me at “sandwiches”.

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