Project Nim

[raj101]

got tickets for Nim now, and cant wait for my simian weekend to begin!

[kevinknapman]

Just back from seeing this. It's a wonderful documentary. James Marsh continuing his excellent run of impressive docs (as good as Man on Wire is you really should track down Wisconsin Death Trip which is fantastic).
Project Nim is a powerful, moving, occasionally upsetting, often very funny and gripping documentary.
The level of incompetence and naivety on display throughout the project and beyond is often jaw-dropping. With people hired to take control of a chimpanzee that they have absolutely no experience or training in dealing with. They are often well-meaning and well-intentioned but it's clear that very few of them are quite prepared for a wild animal coming into their lives. How this continues and what happens to Nim is in parts very infuriating and very moving.
Luckily it's not all doom and gloom and not everyone is completely incompetent. The 'Dead-Head' Bob Ingersoll comes across as the one person who cares enough about Nim to actually try and help him (if you ignore his tendency to share joints with him) and the outcome of Nim's journey is a fairly positive one.
Proving that talking head documentaries still have a place in cinema (after Senna went against that convention), Project Nim edits together an impressive collection of archive footage and staged recreations to compelling effect. The use of talking heads was quite similar to Errol Morris which is no bad thing.
Tindersticks founder member Dickon Hinchliffe also supplies an impressive score. A slight shame then that they felt the need to include 'Perpetuum Mobile' by Penguin Cafe Orchestra. A lovely piece of music for sure but so overused in films and trailers (last heard in Mary & Max) as to be slightly distracting.
That really is the only criticism I can think of though as this is a really powerful and moving documentary.

[EthanRunt]

Er, what Kevin said...
Great documentary.

[funthing29]

Er, what Kevin said...

That's become the tagline around here: "I agree with KK"

[superhero]

The trailer looked so manipulative and by the numbers though, I do hope I end up agreeing with KK

[evilzadi]

KK does have a way with words

[prettyxcool]

His reviews are always so well said!

[QfwfQ]

Thanks for the review. I like documentaries.
Just got tickets. Looking forward to seeing it this weekend.

[kevinknapman]

My full review of Project Nim. Though a documentary, the review does contain some references that some people might consider spoilers.

http://www.thefilmpilgrim.com/reviews/p ... eview/5094

[raj101]

a similar but different story is that of Oliver the chimp, who was forced into human activity on account of him walking like a humanand having some human features to his face (sounds like me lol) - people speculated he might be the human/chimp hybrid that links us to our ape past. He went through a lot of cruelty, a lot of it unintentional. They dubbed him the 'humanzee'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kJF7hRm ... re=related

He's still alive apparently!