Star's Festival Diary: Tuesday, April 11th

You might think a movie about crossword competition would be boring. You would be wrong. I'll admit it that I am in many ways prone to enjoying a movie about word play. I love words. Live and breathe them. There are only two times you'll ever catch me watching ESPN (well, ESPN 2) and one of them is during the National Spelling Bee competition. (The other is during the World Strongest Man competition. Magnus Ver Magnusson rocks!) I loved Spellbound. And, of course, I'm a puzzle-doer myself, although I've always preferred cryptograms to crosswords. I think it's because I'm not a fan of trapping words in boxes.

The movie is a charming, funny, warm-hearted examination of the American crossword puzzle, specifically the grand-daddy of them all - The New York Times Crossword. Framed around the annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, Wordplay showcases not only the puzzle-solvers , but also the puzzle creators and the puzzle-making process. Crosswords are much more complex creatures than I ever thought. I fear this movie may make a crossword doer out of me.

Although not a crossword competitor. The competition seems friendly enough, but I would crack under that sort of pressure.

There are some cameos from crossword loving luminaries in the film (including Bill Clinton, Jon Stewart and Ken Burns), but they're much less interesting than the puzzle-solvers who compete not only against other puzzle-solvers in the annual competition, but against themselves each day. (Many of whom surprised the audience by turning up for a post-show Q&A). There's something very inspiring about their skill and love for the puzzles, and something a little intimidating. It's quite one thing to do the NYT puzzle in ink...but to do it in ink in under 3 minutes! It would take me twice that long to properly fold-over the newspaper.

I challenge you to watch Wordplay (if you miss it during Reels on Wheels, you can catch its theatrical release this summer) and not try and solve the crossword clues and puzzles that pepper the film. The energy in this movie is infectious. There were no ballots at the end of the film, since Festival Favorite voting is over...but had I the chance, I would have given it between Very Good and Excellent. It's extremely enjoyable (despite the small traces of crossword filk).

Also, even though I don't do the Times puzzle, I now have a small crush on NYT puzzle editor Will Shortz. I have a soft spot for men who play with words. Besides, the man has a degree in Enigmatology. How can you not love that?