PRINTMovie review: Anvil! The Story of Anvil
June 20, 2009 | 12:00 p.m. CST
Anvil! The Story of Anvil is a documentary for every band that ever tried to make it –- and failed. One needn’t be a fan of the flying hair or tight leather of ’80s hair metal to appreciate this film’s message. Although, the movie does revolve around Anvil’s comedic attempts at a revival, its heart is director Sacha Gervasi’s portrayal of a side of heavy metal rarely exposed -- its humanity.
More than a quarter of a century ago, lead singer Steve “Lips” Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner fronted Anvil, a metal band that many of their successive peers credit with a sound and stage style that spawned the metal genre. A montage of archived clips show glimpses of Anvil’s past including tours with Bon Jovi and Whitesnake, hordes of head-banging fans at Japan’s 1984 Super Rock Festival and testimonials from men of metal such as Lars Ulrich of Metallica and Slash of Guns N’ Roses.
In a clever juxtaposition, Gervasi cuts to the band’s current state of affairs in which they play gigs in dingy, smoke-filled bars to a small following of die-hard, pot-bellied, balding metal heads. Although not literally starving artists, the duo now work menial jobs to pay the bills. The documentary chronicles a series of unfortunate if entertaining attempts at fame, which include a string of minor concert dates, missed trains and unpaid gigs in Europe (organized by their hilariously ditsy if well-intentioned manager, Tiziana Arrigoni) and an attempt to cut a new record in England.
Through it all, Anvil proves that theirs is a labor of love, no matter what the costs. The friendship of Kudlow and Reiner is one wrought with the promise of fleeting fame, the fear of mediocrity and the pressure of the last-ditch effort.
As the story unfolds, even the most derisive critic becomes a convert to Anvil’s cause. One can’t help but hope against hope that maybe this time they’ll hit the big time. Comparable to a rock reality show, this documentary is built on the almost childlike innocence of Kudlow and steadfast loyalty of Reiner. As the directorial debut of Gervasi, a former Anvil roadie, this movie proves that heavy metal never dies; it just fades away. Luckily for us, Anvil never got the memo.
Vox Rating:
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