Words Without Friends

At some point, somewhere, I can't recall exactly when or where, I heard there was this documentary called Wordplay that I ought to check out. I was either given the wrong impression, or I was confused, because I thought it was a documentary about the game of Scrabble. For you readers, let me clear up my misconception.

Wordplay is actually a documentary about crossword puzzles. Specifically, it revolves around the editor of the notorious New York Times crossword puzzle, who has been doing it for decades. It's two distinctly different documentaries blended together.

In one "film," we meet enthusiasts of the puzzle, including some celebrities. Jon Stewart, Bill Clinton, and more weigh in on "what it is about crossword puzzles," sometimes just as a way to have fun, other times as a metaphor or training for other aspects of life.

We meet one of the puzzle makers whose work is regularly published in that newspaper. This is a man known by name in the elite circles of puzzle solving, who is referred to by one puzzle enthusiast as a true artist. (We learn how quality work by him, which deserves a "Friday or Saturday slot," is squandered when published on a Monday or Tuesday. And we learn what that means, in case you don't already know.)

The other "film" follows the annual crossword tournament organized by the Times editor, and the cream of the crop players vying for top honors in the event. It's a look at competition in general, and allows some intellectual distance because the competition isn't taking a form everyone is used to. You're dazzled by the skills of the tournament elite, and eager to see which of the people you've met will come out on top.

This half of the movie isn't as compelling as it might have been, I think because the filmmakers basically play it straight. I found myself thinking back to the documentary King of Kong, which set up a real David and Goliath scenario for the audience, and became richly entertaining as a result. This movie doesn't tell you who to root for, or offer its own perspective on events. That arguably makes it a more pure documentary... but it makes a less entertaining one too.

If you have any interest in games or puzzles in general, or certainly crosswords in particular, you'll probably find something worthwhile here. Still, I found the individual parts more compelling than the whole. I'd rate it a B-.