I saw this yesterday, at the Nova – and it was brilliant. Who would have thought that a documentary about people who make and do crytic crosswords could have been that interesting?? It really was just about the people, and their relationship to the NY Times cryptic: there is some tension around who will make it to the Championship stage of the American national competition, and then who will actually win, but it’s structured around the people themselves talking to the camera – the filmmaker is basically invisible, which is a style I’ve always liked. The people themselves were the sort of odd collection that frankly I expected. I liked that they included a few famous people – Bill Clinton, a comedian whose name I forget, the Indigo Girls – but basically the only things they talked about were the NY Time crossword. The people who actually went to the nationals were the main stars… and yes, they’re a bit nerdy (or a lot, in some cases), but they are potrayed in a sympathetic light and allowed to speak for themselves.

Definitely worth watching!