Sometimes I think that one of the greatest things a movie can do is make you feel like a kid again. A documentary that can do so scores doubly impressive in my book.

The last one that did that to me was probably Jeffrey Biltz's Spellbound in 2002. The documentary tracking eight schoolkids and their paths to the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee conveyed all of the kids' collective anxiety and hope as they worked their way through the competition. Mentally, I tried to spell every word with every child and my heart broke every time someone missed a word.

A recurring point mentioned is that for most of the balloon twisters at the center of this film, twisting is more than just their fun, it is their vocation. The twisters' skill and vision is on display very early in the film in the form of what looks like a twenty or thirty foot tall Trojan Horse constructed entirely from balloons. That work so extraordinary can come from the minds and collective vision of people that the audience can relate to in their daily lives is what the filmmakers hang their story on.

Whether focusing on the young (Vera, who began working as a twister to escape poverty and pay for college) or old (David, a balloon twisting legend), people who twist for fun (Don and Laura, a couple who met through twisting) or profit (Michele, a twisting entrepreneur from Las Vegas), the subjects of each sequence are enthusiastic about the art of twisting and eager to convince people that an occupation so lighthearted should be taken seriously. More than once, one of the film's subjects points out how they have had to convince people that twisting is their real job.

The zeal for pushing the balloon envelope of what they do could help convince some people. Sheree, who works under the stage name "The Great Wandini", is perhaps the most interesting marriage of art and commerce depicted in the film. From a complete sense of herself as a "brand" in the stage persona she creates for herself it would seem perhaps she takes twisting a bit too seriously, especially when coupled with a strong competitive streak that she gives outlet to in the Twist and Shout sculpture contests. Seeing the works she creates show that it is a serious passion that earns respect not just from her fellow twisters, but from casual observers as well.

Sheree's passion dovetails in interesting ways with John of Cedar Hill, Texas, a self-described "gospel balloon minister". I admit to personally being a bit disquieted by the scripture themed balloons John uses in his teachings (I will never look at a crucifix quite the same way again). But there is no denying that as John relates how twisting and religion helped him find his way out of a life of crime and misery that he is an inspirational figure. The same is true for James from Atlanta, who uses twisting as part of a community youth outreach program to dissuade kids from joining gangs.

Vera is the individual I found to have the most interesting story, and one I wish they had spent more time with. Her story of a hand-to-mouth existence growing up and using twisting as a means to escape that life is perhaps even more inspirational than John's. Even with her limited screen time, Vera has one of the most poignant moments in the film. The film shows us that She is an exceptional young woman, and has much to be proud of.

The thing I find most fascinating about Twisted, however, is how even as exceptional as these people are as individuals, it is when they work together as a community to create something that their potential seems to explode exponentially. The sound of latex being twisted, tied and pushed together as everyone participates in "balloon jams" (freestyle creative sessions that can run for hours) would drive me crazy out of context. Here, seeing the amazing collaborative structures twisters can build makes that sound as meaningful as an artist's charcoal scratching out a sketch or a sculptor's chisel scraping across marble.

There are documentaries out there that deal with more complex narratives, more complex subjects, though it would stand to reason that a movie about people who make art with balloons should be done with a light touch. Where I found myself most surprised is in how well Greenfield and Taksler manage to find resonant emotional notes in such blithe fare. It is a testament to their developing skills as young filmmakers (this is the first feature for both of them), and their love of balloon twisting that brought them together in the first place.

I lost count of the number of times I laughed out loud seeing what fun sculptures these twisters created. I think it is possible that the only thing that kept me from feeling more like I was a kid again was that I never cursed as a child (my laughter usually being followed with declarations of, "That is too f***ing cool!"). Part of me wishes I had not missed this at SXSW last year, as I don't think I would have been the only one saying or feeling that. In a city that prides itself on keeping itself weird, being a little bit twisted is definitely a plus.

Twisted: A Ballonamentary is available on DVD. More information about the film and its creative team can be found at their official website.

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