Wordplay
Crossword puzzle enthusiasts attend an annual tournament.
'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
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The Nutcracker: English National Ballet's reboot restores 'festive sparkle'
The Week Recommends Long-overdue revamp of Tchaikovsky's ballet is 'fun, cohesive and astoundingly pretty'
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Congress reaches spending deal to avert shutdown
Speed Read The bill would fund the government through March 14, 2025
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - December 18, 2024
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - thoughts and prayers, pound of flesh, and more
By The Week US Published