by Mike Favila, Reviewer

After seeing Planet of the Apes in its many (and sometimes unwatchable) incarnations, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would this real life film on a champanzee raised as a human being be just as entertaining? Project Nim was spearheaded by James Marsh, the acclaimed director of Man On Wire, so I had a feeling this would be a documentary I could actually watch and enjoy in one sitting.

Project Nim effortlessly documents the liftime of Nim Chimpsky, a chimpanzee under the care and study of Columbia University. Beginning in the 70s, he is separated from his chimpanzee mother at 2 weeks old and paired with Stephanie LaFarge and her family. They raise Nim in their posh NY apartment as an infant, even going so far as to breastfeed him! I literally had to rewind the DVD to make sure I didn’t hear that wrong. They were tasked by the project head to try to teach him American Sign Language (ASL) and see how far Nim’s language development could go. The early segments are almost like peeking into a private home movie, watching Nim be potty trained, teach him chores and love his human parents and siblings.

Although Project Nim is named after the chimp, what really keeps the film interesting are the people involved with teaching and raising Nim. For a research project, I didn’t expect to hear the interviewees talk candidly about the backstabbing, the hooking up between researchers, and the egos involved with trying to keep the project on track and Nim taken care of.

Unfortunately, as Nim gets older, violence seems to be inevitable. While the teachers and caretakers often treat him like a human, he issues them many brutal reminders when he doesn’t get his way. After the researchers endure stitches and concussions, they decide to send Nim to a chimpanzee facility. There, he is kept in a cage and is forced to give up his privileged life and join the pack. The rest of the film covers his attempt to adapt to his ever changing circumstances.  

Special Features

Given the depth of the main feature, any of the additional goodies on the disc are still insightful and great for a second perspective from Bob, one of the grad students that watched over Nim for over a decade.

• Audio commentary with Director James Marsh
•  “Making Nim” featurette
• “Bob’s Journey” featurette
• Theatrical Trailer

Audio & Video

Even though the documentary doesn’t really require much in the way of presentation, the Dolby Digital EX 5.1 is very crisp and doesn’t detract from the narrative. Project Nim is currently available in DVD format only. Subtitles are helpfully provided for all the crucial dialogue.

Overall

Project Nim is an amazing and sometimes heartbreaking look at a creature that can display both a human vulnerability and an almost alien ferocity. I dare anybody not to tear up a little watching the highs and lows of Nim’s life.

ComicsOnline gives Project Nim 4 out of 5 opposable thumbs up!

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