Review of Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2008) by Bryan G — 17 Oct 2009

I have never heard of the heavy metal rock group Anvil, and chances are you haven't either. But if you listen to the various praises given in the opening moments of Anvil! The Story of Anvil, by legends of metal like Lars Ulrich of Metallica and Slash of Guns N' Roses, then it is a mystery why such an influential group such as Anvil would fall through the cracks, even with a stellar catalog of music. 2009 has been a pretty good year for documentaries, and Sacha Gervasi's Anvil! The Story of Anvil is another great one for the year.

Anvil! The Story of Anvil is a lot like This is Spinal Tap, only the laughs are coming from real life situations instead of staged ones. Gervasi does a great job with follow his subjects through their many attempts of trying to make it big in the music business. And we get to see how the music industry is a cruel and harsh world to try to make it big in, especially considering that these guys have been trying for around 30 years.

Bandmates Steve 'Lips' Kudlow and Robb Reiner have been friends since they were 14, and Anvil has always been their dream. Both Lips and Reiner were great people to get to know in Gervasi's film, and it was easy to follow along during their many attempts at fame. It was funny to see some of the situations they got in, it was heartbreaking at other moments but in the end inspiring to see their various stumbles and successes.

Anvil! The Story of Anvil is easily one of my favorite films of the year. It's funny, charming, heartwarming and just plain great film-making. Like I said at the beginning of the review, I have never heard of Anvil before seeing this film. But after seeing it, I am more than interested in seeking out their music. And I hope that this film inspires more people to discover their music, since these guys really know how to rock.