Review of Jim: The James Foley Story (2016) by Frank P — 20 Dec 2018

The documentary Jim, covers the distinctive life of James Foley, a journalist who went places few other journalists have ever traveled. He put himself in continual danger in an attempt to capture conflicts and their impacts on civilians in pictures. He interviewed people who had never before spoken to an American, was captured twice and was eventually killed by the terrorist group ISIS.

The documentary itself has a very matter-of-factly tone, with a constant barrage of what Jim did as a child and the effect he had on his brothers, sister, and fellow journalists. Throughout the movie, hundreds of pictures and video clips tell the story of his life. , Often times this video includes Foley, updating viewers with what was happening in Libya or Syria, or wherever he was. In most of his videos, there are nearby gunshots or mortar blasts from the opposing side's pressure against the rebels.

Foley was not a typical journalist. Many people, even in his own family, wondered why he was drawn to such dangerous places. "Why? Libya was a very exciting place for a journalist because you could ask them [the rebels] about the movement and why they were doing it..." Foley said. Foley wanted to show a brighter light to the issues in the middle east, and the movie nearly completed that in itself. Nicole, one of Foley's close friends and fellow journalists, said "The experienced photojournalists would take one or two trips to the front lines and say; fuck it. That is way too dangerous." But Foley and a small crew of his freelance journalist friends kept being drawn back in to chaotic war zones.

The movie itself, being a documentary, was more focused on the "what" and the "why" than the emotion or the personality of Jim, and his in-depth relationships with his family and friends. Granted, the movie did cover his relationships with his family and friends, but not any longer than a couple minutes, mostly briefing the audience on how close he was with them and if there were tensions between them, then why; other than that, the movie was set on his pictures, videos, and the light that he brought to journalism in today's world.

Released January 23, 2016 Jim was directed by Brian Oakes and produced by George Kunhardt, Teddy Kunhardt and Eva Lipman, As of January 2017, this film has a rating of 91% and won Primetime Emmy Award for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking, and shown at the Sundance Film Festival, the film also won the Audience Award.