Wordplay

'œIt was only a matter of time' before some intrepid filmmaker decided to tackle crossword puzzles, said Eric Alter in Premiere. Since the success of the spelling bee documentary Spellbound, there have been a number of films that have looked in on the world's geekiest hobbies. The latest is Wordplay, which starts off profiling legendary New York Times 'œpuzzlemaster' Will Shortz and ends up at the 28th annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, a mecca for the nation's most socially challenged philolexians. These guys 'œmake the spelling-bee nerds of Spellbound look like prom kings and queens,' said David Edelstein in New York. But of course we love them all the same. Director Patrick Creadon is entirely affectionate toward his subject and its followers, who include such brainiacs as Bill Clinton (who does his Sunday Times puzzle in ink), Jon Stewart, and even Mike Mussina, who fills out his puzzle in the Yankees' dugout. Unfortunately, though, this 'œoverly fawning' movie isn't much more than a pleasant ride, said Phillip Lopate in The New York Times. Creadon could have done more to avoid copying the script of other, better documentaries. The film's best moments aren't the ones that capture celebrities racking their brains, but the portraits of the little people who attend the tournament. One older woman tells the camera that she goes every year to remember her late husband, who once adored crosswords too.

Rating: PG

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