Anvil’s strife, however sad and unfortunate it may be, is documented beautifully. Seeing their optimism and talent continually trumped by forces of cruelty or incompetance becomes exponentially more gut-wrenching. Much time is spent concentrating on the woe of Robb Reiner and Lips Kudlow while bandmates, the craft of their music, and the recording experience are ultimately left out. Granted, focusing on their impossibly hard hardships was appropriate, its just that some of the peripheral elements are lost. Regardless, The Story of Anvil is a remarkable directorial achievement and more inspirational than any sports film this year.