| WORDPLAY |
 2006 – USADirector: Patrick Creadon
- Reviewed by Vickie
Directed by Patrick Creadon, and doing for crossword-puzzle aficionados what Spellbound did for spelling-bee addicts, the film examines the history of the crossword and its creators, alongside profiles of some of its greatest “solvers,” and sets the action against the looming backdrop of the annual championship competition where entire grids are solved in under 10 minutes. Anchoring the film is Will Shortz, the jovial, mustachioed current editor of the Times’ crossword, who reflects on his love of words and his work at the paper – from sorting his hate mail to selecting which puzzles will run on which days, depending on their level of difficulty. We then meet a number of competitors who’ll be sharpening their pencils and their minds as they prepare for the mother of all wordy face-offs. Naturally, that big competition provides the film with its riveting final act, with “plot” twists that have to be seen to be believed. I kid you not when I say it comes right down to the wire in a delicious cinematic nailbiter. The documentary also features interviews with the famous folks mentioned above and a few others, and tackles issues like: pen vs. pencil, solution strategy, and tapping into themes to speed the process. Adding to the all-over enjoyment is Creadon’s use of computerized and animated sequences that illustrate the wildly rapid letter-by-letter progress of a number of the solvers. It’s sort of like the spelling equivalent of the sing-along bouncing ball. Having said all that, it’s also obvious that this terrific little movie will likely appeal most to people who love words or who love puzzles or both. There’s a certain beauty and art to the way these folks do their thing, and their talents are presented so gracefully onscreen that the sometimes geeky participants are revealed to be as impressive as seasoned athletes, who have honed their considerable skills as much as any Olympian. After all, anyone who can solve a NYT crossword in under two minutes (!!!!!) is someone who deserves our attention and most definitely our respect. In a (three-letter) word: wow. |
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What do Bill Clinton, Jon Stewart, Major League pitcher Mike Mussina
and the Indigo Girls have in common? They all love doing the New York
Times crosswords…and I suspect that the printed puzzle’s popularity
will only grow after audiences are through with this lively,
informative and all-around delightful documentary.
