Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2008, USA)

Perhaps the best description I can think of for Anvil! is that it’s a cross between This is Spinal Tap and American Movie. But while there are plenty of laughs in Anvil! - some of which the subjects are probably unaware of – the movie is more about struggle and dedication, and less about laughing at talentless, self-deluded hacks. Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner, the heart and soul of the metal band Anvil, have been at it for 30 years, with one big flashpoint in the early 80’s and a lot of playing at sports bars and in European dungeons for ten or twelve people a show. Though they occasionally show signs of giving up the rock n’ roll dream, they remain committed to staying together, making music, and hoping for that big break.

Perhaps even more central to Anvil! than the usual documentary dream-chasing is the relationship between Lips and Reiner, two guys in their 50’s who have been playing metal together since they were fifteen. There’s an incredible sequence in the middle of the film, while the band is recording their thirteenth album, where Lips loses his shit (not an uncommon occurrence), blows up at Reiner, and “fires” him from the band. The album’s producer then has to sit them both down and essentially play marriage counselor – a scene that ends in tears, remarkable not in the least because it’s quite obvious that the two men have been here dozens, if not hundreds, of times before. In the end, Anvil’s minor triumphs and their love of playing music keep them together, and keeps Lips and Reiner closer than brothers, chasing the dream of fame for who knows how long. Good for them.

(Re-reading this review, I don’t think I made it clear how much I really enjoyed Anvil!. It’s one of the best documentaries I’ve seen in a long time, and certainly one of my favorite films of 2009, thus far. It doesn’t matter if you’re a metal fan or not – I’m not – it’s a terrific film, and though it will mostly be ignored or passed over theatrically, I think it’s going to enjoy a long life on DVD.)