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Milli Vanilli(film)

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Milli Vanilli
Film poster
Directed byLuke Korem
Produced by
Bradley Jackson
Starring
Robert Pilatus
CinematographyGabriel Patay
Edited byPatrick Berry
Music byMondo Boys
Production
companies
Distributed byParamount+[1]
Release dates
  • June 10, 2023(2023-06-10)(Tribeca Festival)
  • October 24, 2023(2023-10-24)(Paramount+)
Running time
106 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Milli Vanilliis a 2023 Americandocumentary filmabout the German-Frenchpop musicduoMilli Vanilli,consisting ofRob PilatusandFab Morvan.[2]The film chronicles the circumstances surrounding the duo's meteoric rise to fame and devastating fall.[3]It features rarearchival footage,exclusive interviews with Pilatus and Morvan, and interviews with the real singers and record executives. It is directed byLuke Koremand produced by Korem, Bradley Jackson,MRC,Keep on Running Pictures, andFulwell 73,in association withMTV Entertainment Studios.[4]

Synopsis

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The film follows the rise to fame of Robert "Rob" Pilatus and Fabrice "Fab" Morvan as the duo Milli Vanilli, in the late 1980s. It features interviews with Morvan, Pilatus (though archival recordings), the real singers, record executives, and music celebrities such asTimbalandandDiane Warren.

Pilatus and Morvan, who both had difficult childhoods, first meet inMunich,Germany. With very few Black people in the area, they quickly develop a brotherly bond. The two young men work as dancers, start their own pop duo, and grow long braids as asignature hairstyle.

Record producerFrank Farianoffers them arecording contract.According to Morvan, only after signing (and not reading) the contracts does the duo learn they are going tolip syncto pre-recorded tracks by other singers. They are upset by this but can't break their deal with Farian without paying back all the money he has advanced them. However, Ingrid Segieth (Farian's business partner and then-girlfriend) claims that Morvan and Pilatus did not need to be coerced into lip syncing, and they were happy to go along with the plan from the beginning.

The name Milli Vanilli is inspired by Segieth's nickname, "Milli". The group releases the albumAll or Nothingin Europe. After being signed toArista Recordsin the United States, the album is reworked and reissued asGirl You Know It's Trueto American audiences. It goes 6xPlatinumin 1989 and sells over 30 million copies worldwide.

Due to Pilatus and Morvan's strong accents and limited English in interviews, rumors arise that Milli Vanilli may be a fake band. They suffer an embarrassing incident when a vocal track skips at a concert. Arista tries to keep the event out of the public eye and dismisses any negative claims regarding the band's integrity.

Milli Vanilli winsBest New Artistat the32nd Annual Grammy Awardsin 1990. Morvan and Pilatus want to sing on the next album, but Farian refuses. As a result, they demand more money in the hope that a frustrated Farian will let them out of their contracts. Instead, he goes to the press and reveals the charade.

When this causes a scandal, Milli Vanilli must return their Grammy and are ostracized from the music industry. Pilatus and Morvan suffer the majority of the vitriol, while the producers and executives remain relatively unscathed. Record executiveClive Davisdenies Arista had any knowledge of the lip syncing. However, the documentary's interviews reveal that Arista was aware of the situation six months before the awards ceremony, if not earlier.

In the aftermath, Farian releases the albumThe Moment of Truthby "the Real Milli Vanilli."This new lineup features some of the original studio singers and musicians, as well as new band members who have been hired only for sex appeal. Meanwhile, Pilatus and Morvan release the albumRob & Fab,which features their own vocals. It only sells 2,000 copies, and the duo stop working together.

Over the next several years, Pilatus struggles with poor mental health andsubstance abuse.He eventually dies of anoverdoseafter mixing alcohol and pills. Segieth, who came to do a wellness check, finds him on the floor of his hotel room.

Morvan fares better, though he struggles to find respect as a musician. He moves to the Netherlands, marries, and has children. He says he no longer feels ashamed about his time in Milli Vanilli.

Release

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Milli Vanillihad its world premiere at theTribeca Festivalon June 10, 2023, and was released globally byParamount+on October 24, 2023.[5][6][7]

Reception

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Critical response

On thereview aggregatorwebsiteRotten Tomatoes,100%of 24 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The website's consensus reads: "With clarity and compassion, Milli Vanilli reframes one of pop's most infamous scandals as a sobering cautionary tale."[8]

The documentary was selected as a critic's pick by bothThe New York TimesandVariety.[9]BothThe TelegraphandThe Timesgave the film four out of five stars.[10][11]

The film received three out of four stars fromChristy LemireofRogerEbert.com.She wrote, "The retelling of events that would become Milli Vanilli's ultimate undoing...emerges as a thrilling and stomach-turning adventure."[12]

Owen GleibermanofVarietycalled the film a "captivating and moving documentary", writing, "...whereMilli Vanillibecomes a poignant experience is in making us realize that Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus, while complicit, were not ultimately to blame. The pop music system was to blame ".[13]

Chris Azzopardi ofThe New York Timespraised the film for interviewing "...the business side of Milli Vanilli, including officials atArista Records",and stated that Fab Morvan" raises still-relevant questions about the way the music industry exploits vulnerable performers ".[14]Daniel Feinberg ofThe Hollywood Reportergave the film a mixed review, writing, "Korem presents Milli Vanilli as puppets, but the most powerful of the people who might have pulled the strings aren't here", and "Maybe Korem's primary objective is simply to make you think more about Milli Vanilli than you ever have before. In that, it's a total success".[6]

Accolades

Milli Vanilliwas named Best Austin Film 2023 by theAustin Film Critics Association.[15][16][17][18]

VarietynamedMilli Vanillione of the best documentaries of 2023.[19]

TheInternational Documentary Associationnominated the film for Best Music Documentary of 2023.[20]

References

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  1. ^"Milli Vanilli".The Hollywood Reporter.September 13, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on October 5, 2023.RetrievedOctober 2,2023.
  2. ^Korem, Luke (October 24, 2023),Milli Vanilli(Documentary, Biography, Music), Diane Warren, Rob Pilatus, Timbaland, Keep on Running Pictures, Fulwell 73, MTV Entertainment Studios,archivedfrom the original on October 28, 2023,retrievedOctober 2,2023
  3. ^Milli Vanilli|Weight of the Lie – Paramount Plus on official YouTube channel
  4. ^Trakin, Roy (June 8, 2023)."'Milli Vanilli' Documentary Puts Disgraced Duo's Story in New Light: 'We Were the Villains for So Long'".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on October 2, 2023.RetrievedOctober 2,2023.
  5. ^"Milli Vanilli | 2023 Tribeca Festival".Tribeca.Archivedfrom the original on October 2, 2023.RetrievedOctober 2,2023.
  6. ^abFienberg, Daniel (June 13, 2023)."'Milli Vanilli' Review: Doc About Disgraced Duo Poses Intriguing Questions That It Never Satisfyingly Answers ".The Hollywood Reporter.Archivedfrom the original on October 2, 2023.RetrievedOctober 2,2023.
  7. ^White, Peter (June 1, 2023)."Paramount+ Snaps Up Milli Vanilli Feature Doc".Deadline.Archivedfrom the original on June 8, 2023.RetrievedOctober 2,2023.
  8. ^"Milli Vanilli".Rotten Tomatoes.Archivedfrom the original on October 26, 2023.RetrievedApril 30,2024.
  9. ^Gleiberman, Owen (June 12, 2023)."'Milli Vanilli' Review: The Saga of the Infamous Pop Duo, Now Seen from the Inside, Becomes a Captivating and Moving Documentary ".Variety.RetrievedNovember 10,2023.
  10. ^Singh, Anita (October 25, 2023)."The Milli Vanilli story: from being 'better than McCartney' to being exposed as frauds".The Telegraph.ISSN0307-1235.RetrievedNovember 10,2023.
  11. ^Midgley, Carol (November 10, 2023)."Milli Vanilli review — how a lip-syncing scandal ended in tragedy".ISSN0140-0460.RetrievedNovember 10,2023.
  12. ^Christy Lemire (October 24, 2023)."Reviews Milli Vanilli".rogerebert.com.Ebert Digital.RetrievedNovember 10,2023.
  13. ^Gleiberman, Owen (June 11, 2023)."'Milli Vanilli' Review: The Saga of the Infamous Pop Duo, Now Seen from the Inside, Becomes a Captivating and Moving Documentary ".Variety.Los Angeles:Variety Media.RetrievedNovember 10,2023.
  14. ^Azzopardi, Chris (October 24, 2023)."'Milli Vanilli' Review: Blame It on the Fame ".[The New York Times].New York City.RetrievedNovember 10,2023.
  15. ^Partridge, Jon (January 3, 2024)."2023 Austin Film Critics Association Award Nominations".Austin Film Critics Association.RetrievedJanuary 3,2024.
  16. ^Neglia, Matt (January 3, 2024)."The 2023 Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) Nominations".Next Best Picture.RetrievedJanuary 3,2024.
  17. ^Anderson, Erik (January 3, 2024)."Austin Film Critics Association Nominations (AFCA): 'Killers of the Flower Moon', 'Oppenheimer' Lead with 10 Each".AwardsWatch.RetrievedJanuary 3,2024.
  18. ^Whittaker, Richard."Milli Vanilli Documentary to Get Award Screening at AFS".Austin Chronicle.RetrievedJanuary 16,2024.
  19. ^Peter Debruge; Owen Gleiberman; Manuel Betancourt; Catherine Bray; Dennis Harvey; Lisa Kennedy; Jessica Kiang; Richard Kuipers; Guy Lodge; Chris Willman (December 29, 2023)."The Best Documentaries of 2023".Variety.RetrievedJanuary 16,2024.
  20. ^"IDA Documentary Awards 2023 Winners & Nominees".International Documentary Association.RetrievedJanuary 16,2024.
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