Over the last week I decided to finally watch a couple of documentary films that have been on my “must watch” list for a while. Both ended up being incredibly satisfying experiences complete with entertainment value, inspiration and enlightenment.

First up was Anvil: The Story of Anvil – honored in the “Best Documentary” category at this year’s Independent Spirit Awards. Wow….I’ve gotta say that my the movie I was expecting and the movie that I viewed were a little different. The obvious comparisons to “Spinal Tap” are sometimes warranted but overall do Anvil a disservice by creating an expectation of mockery and comedy as opposed to what the film is really about – the tenacious pursuit of one’s dreams regardless of the obstacles faced or the monetary rewards gained.

The film, while containing many chuckle-inducing moments, leaves the viewer with more of a feeling of inspiration and the sense of having witnessed and intimate portrayal of the life of the consumate starving artist. The movie is a triumph in the true sense of the word.

The second film is The Cove – the recipient of this year’s Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. I had put off watching this film for fear that it would be too disturbing and would haunt me as other films in this genre have but was left with more a feeling of enlightenment and engagement than anything else. The film plays like an espionage thriller and kept my attention from first frame to last. What’s goes on in the cove in Taiji, Japan is horrific, but the lengths to which the the people involved in the slaughter will go to cover up the truth is even moreso, as is the over-arching message regarding the rampant disregard of the light of the world’s oceans on the part of some governments.

I would highly recommend both films both as entertainment and affecting works of art – both are available online or on DVD.