Puppeteer Kevin Clash, the man behind Sesame Street's Elmo. (Mongrel Media)

Being Elmo is a movie about how Kevin Clash found his voice -- a voice that just so happens to be that of the helium-high, giggling, fuzzy love monster named Elmo. For fans of Jim Henson and the Muppet magic he created, the documentary offers a glimpse into the famed furry kingdom.

This story starts and ends with Clash, who was a young black kid growing up in Baltimore when he fell in love with puppets at an early age. Exposure to Sesame Street planted a seed in him and, suddenly, this tall awkward child was cutting up his father's coat to make puppet creatures of his own.

Fortunately for Clash, his mom ran a daycare, which provided him a focus group on which to practice. She also had the temerity to cold-call Muppet designer Kermit Love and introduce her son to him. On one fateful day in New York City, the puppet proteg and the master builder met. Soon, Kevin was on his way.

Being Elmo takes its time telling the story of how Elmo and Clash first met -- a fascinating blend of luck and determination. Once Clash describes of how he discovered Elmo's voice -- after the fuzzy red monster had been discarded by another puppeteer -- the story shifts to profile his role as a teacher figure. Personally, I've been a lifelong fan of all things Henson and loved watching him show others how to make a sock come to life.

The movie is packed with tidbits for Muppet maniacs like me, but there are also hints that working under Henson was no comedy.

Kevin Clash, left, in a scene from Being Elmo (Mongrel Media)

The few snippets Clash provides paint a portrait of Henson as a Steve Jobsian-like visionary who suffered no fools. If anything, Being Elmo has made me more desperate than ever to see The Muppet Man, a long-rumoured biopic on Henson himself.

While Being Elmo does show us how the famous scarlet monster moppet came between Clash and his family, for the most part the film paints a happy smile on his life story. Little is said about Kevin's role as the first black puppeteer in the company, for instance. Instead, we have the saccharine narration of Whoopi Goldberg carrying us through.

Puppets fans will undoubtedly crave more about why this quiet man feels so comfortable as everyone's furry red friend. Still, there's lots to enjoy in Being Elmo, a film that -- like its titular subject -- is easy to love.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5

Bonus feature: below, a clip of Elmo, at his best, with a special celebrity guest.