Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey

I was privileged to see the film at Sundance and was not disappointed. The heartfelt story made me love Elmo even more, who thought that was possible?

I will admit that there seemed to be a bit of a downfall missing. The guy is very likable but I could sense a missing piece. The film touches upon Clash's relationship with his daughter and the strains they endured due to Clash's work-a-holic lifestyle. Yet, the resolution quite wasn't there for me. All things were patched up with a Sweet 16 birthday bash for her. With that said, it doesn't ruin the film and merely left me curious.

The history of Elmo and Clash's relationship with Jim Henson was pure magic. The behind the scenes look at the world of muppeteers truly fascinated me.

I encourage you to check out the film for yourself.

It is sad that of the 15 documentaries currently nominated for the 2012 Oscars this wasn't one of them - it clearly deserves to be - it may not be about great injustices or uncovering the new, but it does something that the very best documentaries can do - it makes the world a a better place and the viewer a better person for watching it.

This is simply one my favorite films of the year. Kevin Clash is the man behind Elmo, but he is also a man who never ever wanted to do anything from his earliest memories than to make puppets and be a puppeteer. We live in an age where, thank goodness, video records childhood and meetings and TV archives have the records - so we get not only the interviews but also some wonderful footage - and the full story of how Kevin went from making puppets in his bedroom to being a world-class puppeteer.

I do like documentaries - and the best transcend their category and simply take you on the journey - that journey that the greatest drama and comedies can - where you can't wait to see the next frame - where as the story unfolds so does the magic.

Being Elmo does have movie magic. What lifts this is the joy it brings and shares, not just the Muppets and Jim Henson, but just the wonderful spirit that doing what you really love can bring.

It may not be a pure documentary in the truest sense of the word, but is immensely charming and it leaves you laughing, crying, and wishing everyone got to do what they hoped to do as a child.

Great documentary about the lovable man behind the voice of Elmo. It's really inspiring to see someone not only come into success from such a humble beginning, but also to be so focused from childhood at one goal.

I personally enjoyed how intertwined his career was with other puppeteers Frank Oz and Jim Henson. The way Kevin tells his stories about working with his childhood idols was so down to Earth and without pretension that I felt like I was hearing it first hand from a friend. By the end of the doc you'll feel like you've known Kevin for years, not just 90 minutes.

10 stars, I hope this gem gets the attention it deserves

The super-sweet story of Kevin Clash, the puppeteer behind Elmo and a variety of other characters, which doubles as a heartwarming look back at the attitudes and atmosphere behind the scenes with Jim Henson's troupe in the glory days. Clash is a master at his craft, a by-product of spending every afternoon since childhood with an arm inside a furry marionette, and when he's not on the air with the cast of Sesame Street, he's contentedly passing that knowledge on to the next generation. It's an attitude he inherited from Henson and his close associate Kermit Love, who took Kevin under their wing and showed him the ropes without any pretense or hesitation. Too often we're too concerned with job security to share the intimate details of our craft with others, least of all the rising young stars, but Love and Henson adopted Clash with selfless warmth and care, a lesson he hasn't forgotten and continues to roll forward to others today. They're a perfect embodiment of everything the Muppets have stood for, complete with a contagious smile that didn't leave my face for hours.

'Being Elmo' is not only a great flashback into your childhood growing up with Sesame Street, but a truly inspiring and amazing story behind the man who has dedicated his life to one of the most loved characters from the show. It was nothing like I expected it to be. It's not a childish rewind on the history of puppets, but instead a wonderful display of determination and dedication on Clash's part and just a great documentary made by the entire crew. Definitely recommended for everyone. Hopefully this film and its crew will get all of the praise and attention it so rightfully deserves. You will without a doubt be left inspired and moved by Clash's journey.