'Jane' A Review

Jane is a documentary about renowned scientist Jane Goodall and her study of chimpanzees. Told from archival footage, a contemporary interview, but mostly from early rediscovered 16mm footage from the NatGeo archives. We see Jane as a young woman as she first started interacting and integrating in the chimp community. Her early family and the wild life that surrounded it.

Absolutely informative and compelling Jane isn't especially cinematic. The interview is interesting but lacks movement. The old footage intriguing but not exactly illuminating. The images aren't elevated by the big screen and the lack of ambition is somewhat transparent. Whether it be from a desire by the director for a more natural approach or from the more conservative perspective of National Geographic this comes across more appropriate for TV than the movie theater. With a cookie cutter Philip Glass score, with some pieces clearly repurposed from other better known documentary, this is even more apparent.

Whatever the reason, whether it be intention, lack of funding, or lack of vision Jane the movie is more pedestrian than the complicated and courageous woman herself or her groundbreaking work.

Safe both in content and in form.

Rent It.