"Being Elmo" sets out to shed some light on the voice and hands behind arguably the most well-known character on Sesame Street. Hard-hitting documentary, this is not, but it does a fine job illustrating the gift and purity of soul that Kevin Clash possesses in his characterization of the sweet red monster.
The film traces Clash's puppeteer beginnings as a kid growing up in Baltimore. Clash saw a worthwhile pursuit in puppeteering when "Sesame Street" premiered in 1969, and a chance encounter landed him a gig on local television. From there, he pursued his dream, finding guidance under the man that designed and built Jim Henson's Muppets, which eventually led to employment with Henson, himself. He found his home on "Sesame Street", breathing new life into one of the most endearing characters ever created by a human being.
What's amazing about Clash's story is that he started out a fan of Jim Henson and the Muppets, went for it, and now he's passing down the inspiration and the tutelage to younger hopefuls. And everything that makes Elmo such a likable Muppet (and so magnetic with children) comes directly from Clash. Elmo is pure love; pure innocence. And watching Elmo on screen is like peering into the soul of this man.
There's a scene with Clash training the crew of the French version of "Sesame Street". In trying to nail down a dance number, Clash simply holds up his hand (puppetless), and with seemingly breathless ease, mimes a perfectly fluid movement. That someone is able to breathe such life and personality into a mere hand gesture just goes to show the level of craft and talent that Clash and the other puppeteers have. And he makes it look so easy.
"Being Elmo" is full of awe-inspiring moments, as well as heartbreaking ones. But it's also one of the most heartwarming films I have ever seen. I dare say, it is humanly impossible to watch this film and not choke up at least once.
8/10
The film traces Clash's puppeteer beginnings as a kid growing up in Baltimore. Clash saw a worthwhile pursuit in puppeteering when "Sesame Street" premiered in 1969, and a chance encounter landed him a gig on local television. From there, he pursued his dream, finding guidance under the man that designed and built Jim Henson's Muppets, which eventually led to employment with Henson, himself. He found his home on "Sesame Street", breathing new life into one of the most endearing characters ever created by a human being.
What's amazing about Clash's story is that he started out a fan of Jim Henson and the Muppets, went for it, and now he's passing down the inspiration and the tutelage to younger hopefuls. And everything that makes Elmo such a likable Muppet (and so magnetic with children) comes directly from Clash. Elmo is pure love; pure innocence. And watching Elmo on screen is like peering into the soul of this man.
There's a scene with Clash training the crew of the French version of "Sesame Street". In trying to nail down a dance number, Clash simply holds up his hand (puppetless), and with seemingly breathless ease, mimes a perfectly fluid movement. That someone is able to breathe such life and personality into a mere hand gesture just goes to show the level of craft and talent that Clash and the other puppeteers have. And he makes it look so easy.
"Being Elmo" is full of awe-inspiring moments, as well as heartbreaking ones. But it's also one of the most heartwarming films I have ever seen. I dare say, it is humanly impossible to watch this film and not choke up at least once.
8/10