There are some movies that are hard to find, many of them are documentaries. Why? Because they’re often depressing, not that visually stimulating, and above all, too real. Most of us don’t go to the movies to face real life we go to escape it, but we sometimes forget that real life can be just as entertaining and inspiring as the as any work of fiction. ‘Anvil: The Story of Anvil’ is one of those movies. It’s gritty, it’s funny, it’s inspirational, and it’s all with real people. Inspiring documentaries are nothing new, but in the case of ‘Anvil’ it comes from a place you never thought such mainstream drama could be generated: the world of heavy metal.

Now I’ll admit I am not a huge heavy metal fan, I listened to Metallica, Rob Zombie and so forth, but I am by no means an expert. What make ‘Anvil’ so good though is that you don’t have to be an expert, or even a fan. ‘Anvil’ communicates on a purely human level about a team of people who had a shot at greatness but for some reason never quite caught on. The leader of the band Anvil is Steve 'Lips' Kudlow, a strange, funny, but ultimately likeable guitar player who has devoted his life to music. Unfortunately there’s only so much of his life he can devote. He’s in his 50s now and has to raise a family while still trying to live out his dream. His family never knows if it’s wise to support him or not; they’re unsure if they’re helping his dream or fueling his habit. Luckily he always has his drummer Robb Reiner who is pretty much like a brother to him and wants to live the same dream.

So did ever get a shot at the big times? Well surprisingly they were actually in the big times. In the early 80s they had several hit albums, were deemed musical pioneers and even played gigs alongside Slayer and Guns and Roses. So what happened? There’s much debate in the movie about that, but many seem to toss it up to bad marketing and mediocre music that followed. While most of the bands they played with moved up, Anvil seemed to move backwards. They still play and even go on tours, but it’s often in deadbeat locations and in front of just a handful of people. But they are still hopeful and always determined to bring their music to the wide world again, no matter what kind of emotional, physical, and financial paint they have to suffer.

The best way to describe ‘Anvil’ is that it’s like a mix between ‘The Wrestler’ and ‘Edwood.’ At times the characters are quirky, strange, and even seem a tad delusional, but they are so focused and so passionate about they do that it’s impossible not to like them. Determination like that is very heartwarming as well as heart breaking when things do not turn out as dreamed, but we still love them for never giving up and being hopeful. The outbursts and make ups between Steve and Robb are so intense and so gripping that you often feel you really are in the room with them trying to help them solve their dilemmas.

Much of the characters’ likeability comes from not just how fragile they are but how blunt they are. You have to admire people who simply never hide how they feel or what they think. Steve can often get so mad that he grabs people and throws them against the wall, but then moments later will come back in tears apologizing. Surprisingly though we don’t see him as crazy or insensitive, we just see him driven and hopeful. This film does an excellent job of showing us the true humanity in devoting your life to an art form. It’s funny, touching, and certainly memorable.

So who’ll like it? Not just fans of heavy metal. Anyone who has a lot of artists devoting their lives to their work will surly be inspired by this film.

Who won’t like it? People who might be intimidated or frightened by the heavy metal scene perhaps.

My thoughts: This is one of the best films of the year, it’s a shame the film is only be released now even though it was finished and edited in 2008. But the film is growing in popularity and for good reason, it’s a wonderful movie. It’s drama at its most simple as well as complex. Passion like this is enough to make you not only devote yourself to an ideal, but make you look at your accomplishments in a totally different way. Both big and small achievements suddenly seem to have more impact when you think about what you will, have, and have not commit to in your lifetime. It’s currently in limited release but continuing to grow. If you can find it showing somewhere near or even somewhere far, do yourself a favor and partake in this truly strange yet uplifting story.