dir. Sacha Gervasi
Rawk!! "Anvil" begins unassumingly with Lips, lead singer and band leader of Anvil, talking about the details of catering. It takes a minute to be sure you're hearing correctly and then wonder what the Hell it has to do with a rock band before you get around to learning that he's discussing his crappy day job. It's a beautiful way to start the tale of the lifelong struggle of the guys in Anvil and their continued failure to make it big, reminding me of the Squirrel Nut Zippers lyric, "you'll eat peanut butter the rest of your life."
Sadly, life is rough for Lips and Robb, buddies since age 14, still striving to make it big in the rock scene. They haven't seen much success, their highlight from back in the early '80s when they were the wild men who influenced acts that went on to superstardom, like Metallica. It's also sad to see that they aren't very good, still writing pat tunes and screaming lyrics about crystal balls. But their devotion is the point of this film, and while one might tell them to give it up, it raises the question of the timeline of dreams. Should the guys "grow up?" Does that mean they should give up what they love and the way they want to live?
I had the good fortune to see Anvil play live after the screening and can say that they really rock! I'm glad they're still keeping the dream alive, though I also admit that I didn't buy any of their CDs after the performance.
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