Wordplay
Rating = B+
I disagree with the critics who
suggest this movie is patterned on “Spellbound” other than it is
about another obsessive group of people competing in the (nominally)
word domain. I also disagree with the idea that the film is for
people interested in crossword puzzles; I have no interest in
crossword puzzles but enjoyed this movie (maybe it it for people who
are interested in people who are obsessive about something).
Knowing nothing about the crossword puzzle tradition, I learned some
interesting facts about puzzle construction and about the types of
people who are good at crossword puzzle solving. And the movie did a
good job of showing us the competitors' progress in solving puzzles
during the annual competition — who knew that crossword puzzles could
be a spectator sport. The back stories about half a dozen of the
competitors were excellent. The interviews with the celebrity solvers
could have been shorter. As one critic said, this movie is showing us
the family of people who share an obsession and high level skill with
crossword puzzles.
[2006-07-01]