Wordplay (2006)

It's almost time to establish a new subsection among competition-based documentaries: the word geek movie. Jeffrey Blitz followed spelling bee contestants in 2003's Spellbound, then Julian Petrillo and Eric Chaikin tackled Scrabble nuts in 2004's Word Wars. Now, 2006 brings Patrick Creadon's Wordplay, a study of competitive crossword puzzlers preparing for the annual be-all-end-all crossword competition. Wordplay observes the now-familiar structure of meeting the eccentric personalities drawn to such intellectually intense pursuits, documenting their cramming methods, and demonstrating their mind-blowing abilities. (Some can finish the famously difficult Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle in the neighborhood of three minutes). What differentiates Wordplay from these other films is that it also has a celebrity quotient, in the form of both avid crossword fans (Jon Stewart, Bill Clinton) and famous designers (Times puzzle editor Will Shortz). While this gives the movie some extra pizzazz, the celebrity interviews don't necessarily add to the understanding of crosswords -- they serve primarily as a probably-unnecessary validation. But Wordplay is interesting because it focuses on a second type of genius other than the solver -- namely, the creator. The tricky design process involves not only criss-crossing letters to make words with meanings in both directions, but also adhering to a common theme throughout the puzzle. As the first half explores these methods through interviews with Shortz and others, it's more freshly engaging than the standard-issue competition portion. But there's enough drama there as well to keep the viewer thoroughly invested, whether you do your crosswords with a pen, a pencil, or not at all. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide