The last crossword I completed was written in crayon.
IFC Films presents a documentary directed by Patrick Creadon. Written by Creadon and Christine O'Malley. Running time: 90 minutes. Unrated.
Wordplay works for the same reason that Spellbound, the film that documented a group of children and their quest for spelling bee gold, worked. It takes a seemingly bland competition and shows us how interesting it can be. Making these competitions interesting isn't particularly difficult because they are inherently interesting. We just don't notice because they're such a common occurrence that we don't realize they're so intense.
The competition in Wordplay is the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, but the main focus is Will Shortz, editor of the New York Times crossword puzzle. The New York Times puzzle is a kind of American institution, one that this Canadian, who doesn't subscribe to the Times, knows all about. It's difficult, it's frustrating, and it requires a lot of knowledge about a lot of different thing. After all, a crossword isn't like a multiple choice test that you can guess your way through. Says Yankee pitcher Mike Mussina, "If you can do this puzzle, you can do any puzzle they throw at you."
Wordplay lets us in on the process of designing and solving a Times puzzle. The editing tosses us between celebrity cameo after celebrity cameo, comparing their thought process. Celebrity guests include the aforementioned Mike Mussina, Bill Clinton, the Indigo Girls, and Jon Stewart who hams it up like he's doing an episode of The Daily Show. This isn't a problem because a film about crossword puzzles needs a little goofiness.
The crossword gurus who compete could be considered celebrities themselves. At least among the crossword crowd. We see Ellen Ripstein has won the competition before, Al Sanders, Trip Payne, and Tyler Hinman. We also get to spend some time with Merl Reagle, crossword author extraordinaire. You know those people you know who are smarter than you, and know they're smarter than you? You feel like you can't keep up with them and are embarrassed to speak up because you know you'll sound like a moron. As a result you don't like being around these people even though they haven't done anything wrong. You just don't want to feel like an ass, is all. These people are the smart friends.
Stylistically Wordplay is impressive for a film about puzzles. It is a motion graphics designer's dream with graphics of the puzzles displayed on screen, and the letters being written in. This isn't Star Wars type of special effects, but they are more fun to watch than talking heads.
Naturally, the film ends with the finale to the American Crossword Puzzle tournament. Not to give anything away, but it is intense, as competitors work at huge crossword boards visible to the audience. Needless to say, it gets intense. What else would you would expect from a group of people who put that much mental energy into such a frustrating task.
The problem with the picture is that, while it's entertaining, it doesn't work well on a big screen. It is the type of film that is just as enjoyable on the small screen because of its small visual stature. It pains me to say this about a film which deserves an audience, but I need to speak realistically. You probably want to wait anxiously for the DVD release, which will no doubt have a good amount of bonus stuff, and skip the big screen.
The 411: Wordplay is an enjoyable little picture with a couple of interesting cameos and a bit of smugness. It is worth a watch, even if it is a rehash of Spellbound.
