Girl You Know It's True (2023)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
For his next project, successful music producer Frank Farian (Matthias Schweighöfer) hires dancers Rob Pilatus (Tijan Njie) and Fab Morvan (Elan Ben Ali) and helps the two friends to a skyrocketing success. Under the name Milli Vanilli, Rob and Fab storm the international charts, land three number one hits in the USA and enjoy the extravagant life in Hollywood. Only a small circle of insiders know their secret: the duo don't sing themselves, they just move their lips - to the voices of the real singers. At the height of their fame, Rob and Fab even win a Grammy, but the situation behind the scenes becomes increasingly tense and Milli Vanilli threatens to become the biggest scandal in music history. - Actors:
- Tijan Njie, Elan Ben Ali, Matthias Schweighöfer, Bella Dayne, Graham Rogers, Stevonte Hart, Ashley Dowds, Michael Maertens, Tijan Fischer, Thomas Bading, Ulrike Arnold, David Mayonga, Samuel S. Franklin, Darlene Tejeiro, David Chevers, Natasha Loring, Andrew Roux, Randy Yav, James Flynn, Cornell Adams
- Directors:
- Simon Verhoeven
- Producers:
- Quirin Berg, Max Wiedemann, Kirstin Winkler
- Voiced By:
- Jean-Luc Julien
- Writers:
- Simon Verhoeven
- Aka:
- Milli Vanilli: Girl You Know It's True / Girl You Know It's True : The True Story of Milli Vanilli
- Studio:
- Madman
- Genres:
- Drama, Music & Musicals
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Reviews (1) of Girl You Know It's True
This is also known as MILLI VANILLI (alternative title). Excellent music business documentary - Girl You Know It's True review by PV
I do not usually watch movie documentaries, as they bore me. BUT occasionally one comes along which engages and this is in that camp.
BE AWARE that this is the same film as the one called MILLI VANILLI which is an alternative title.
It is a cautionary tale really. A bit like Faust, a deal with the devil done and the rewards so tempting that you just cannot stop...
Amazing no-one spotted Milli Vanilli were lipsynching as Svengali producer Frank Farian (fascinating character) had created Boney M on the same model - Bobby the dancer just danced, his voice on RASPUTIN etc was Frank F. It was a formula that worked so Farian did it again with Milli Vanilli. Why were the latter shunned then? WHY no criticism for Frank Farian or all the US record company executives WHO KNEW they were lipsynching?
This film claims it is racism but I am not buying that very race-fixated American view of the world. Fact is, the music businesss exploits EVERYONE< black, white, any colour. As a young wannabe you are powerless and have a choice - sign the contract and try to make it; or say NO and go back to working in some deadend job for the rest of your life (as the woman here who was Frank F's partner makes clear). No racism. Americans always project that onto everythinbg, see the entire world through a racist lens, Just wrong. Not accurate at all. ALL musical artists and pop stars get ripped off - the Beatles,the Stones, George Michael tried and failed to overturn the contract he signed age 19. Plus many record companies run by 'people of colour', esp now. It is a POWER game, nothing to do with race.
But enjoy this. Tragic in some ways and one wonders what the lives of Rob and Fab would have been like without Milli Vanilli. Better? Worse? Would drugs destroy - well they do for many unfamous people, so...
Fascinating backstories here which made me research these people more online.
The end is touching and satisfying (no spoilers).
And the thing is, THEY COULD SING AFTER ALL.
4 stars