Fame, fortune, Grammys, MTV glory. The pop duoMilli Vanillihad it all by the end of 1989. It disappeared by the end of the following year. The rise and fall of the hit group responsible for earworm chart-toppers like “Girl You Know It’s True,” “Blame it on the Rain,” and “Baby Don’t Forget My Number” makes for a compelling topic in the new film from writer/director Simon Verhoeven (Welcome to Germany),Girl You Know It’s True.The film emits a similar vibe to othersuccessful music biopicslikeRocketman, Bohemian Rhapsody, and even Baz Luhrmann’sElvis.It’s easy to follow, the plot moves quickly, the characters are compelling, and there’s enough drama to keep you glued to the screen.
The Rise & Fall of Milli Vanilli
Girl You Know It’s True
Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan conquer the global music charts as the pop duo Milli Vanilli. However, their fame soon turns to infamy when it’s revealed that the voices behind their hits were not their own but those of other singers.
The drama in this case lies in the innocent, heartfelt wonder of the film’s main characters, Robert Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan (Tijan Njie and Elan Ben Ali). Pilatus hailed from Munich, Morvan from Paris. They initially turned heads as dancers in the Munich club scene, and, young as they were at the time, exhibited a sense of doe-eyed fascination when hit record producer Frank Farian found them. Farian was riding a wave of success, coming off big hits with Boney M, whose “Rasputin” is seeing another resurgence, in fact.
So, it’s not surprising that the duo, whowanted to be called Top Deck before given their famous name, agreed to almost everything Farian proposed. Mainly that they just move their lips while “singing” the cover version of “Girl You Know It’s True"from an unknown Baltimore band named Numarx. Other songs and videos were produced.The duo never sung one word of their own. Eventually, it would backfire.
As time and this film so vividly illuminates, the duo crashed in 1990. Milli Vanilli was performing during a live MTV tour, somebody Farian forbade them to do. A track skipped, exposing that the duo had been lip-syncing. They surfed through the initial furor, only to have Farian later out them without giving them prior knowledge that he would do so.
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Director Simon Verhoeven does a stellar job at capturing the mood of the era and the high-stakes drama involved. He also wins points for turning the lens back on the characters of Pilatus and Morvan themselves, allowing them to narrate the tale, thereby taking back control of their narrative. Initially, that kind of device might trigger some warning signs. It did for us, but here,the narration works just fine as it shows a side of the duo that we forgot. Scandals will do that. They’ll water down a person’s soul. That said, Verhoeven wants you to see these fellas as young men who came from nothing, being swept up in the well-oiled machine that is the music industry.
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While Tijan Njie and Elan Ben Ali do an exceptional job mastering nearly everything about the original duo, one thing must be said.This film wouldn’t sizzle to the degree it does if it weren’t for Matthias Schweighöfer. TheOppenheimerandArmy of Thievesstar disappears into the role of Frank Farian, a mood-swinging savant — part genius, part madman. Schweighöfer, who met with Farian via Zoom prior to his death in January 2024, captures the nuances of the embattled creative. This dysfunctional troika — Farian, Pilatus, Morvan — clicks. Adding to the lure here is the character of Ingrid “Milli” Segieth (played by Bella Dayne). That’s right, the group can thank Farian’s devoted assistant for their moniker.
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If you dig music biopics that can whisk you away on a whirlwind ride, thenGirl You Know It’s Truewill be must-see viewing. Between theslick production value, swift storytelling, sharp editing, and “showbiz” scenes— music arenas, recording studios, flashy hotel rooms — and the solid acting from the entire cast,this 1980s-set filmwins you over.
It tends to wobble a bit at times, indulging in the story it’s telling and how it’s telling it. If you’re able to recall the vibe of 1980s videos and that slightly ironic quality they held, as if everybody there knew they were in a video made especially for, well, you, then you get the picture. Still, themes audiences never tire of — dreams of great success, temptations, failure, and tight friendships — weave themselves through the tale.
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After the scandal hit, Robert Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan were abandoned. Farian fared much better. Pilatus was found dead of an accidental overdose in 1998. He was 33. The ironic twist? Today, we live above the glowing screens of TikTok lip-synching, image-obsessed Instagram, and reality TV. Everybody wants to be a star. (Some even run for President.)Fake is the new real. To some degree, the film illuminates how the stunning shift began.
So, could it be true? Is Milli Vanilli more relevant now than ever? The whole world has become mini Milli Vanillis. One last note: Fabrice Morvan reportedly is releasing his own remixes of some of the group’s songs. Stay tuned for that. In the meantime,Girl You Know It’s Trueis a refreshing welcome — groovy-good fascinating and great comfort viewing. It strikes the right chord of cultural significance. It also gives you enough samplings of the group’s ditties. (You won’t get some of these songs out of your head for a while.)
From Vertical,Girl You Know It’s Trueopens August 9 and is available on digital platforms like Google Play, YouTube, Apple TV, and on Prime Video through the link below:
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