User reviews

As "Milli Vanilli" (2023 release; 106 min) opens, we are in today's "Amsterdam", and Fabrice "Fab" Morvan digs up pictures from the good ol' days (late 80s). We then go to "1986" when Robert "Rob" Pilatus and Fab meet in Munich, pretty much the only people of color in this conservative Bavarian city. They are in their early 20s and desperate to become "stars"... At this point we are 10 minutes into the documentary.

Couple of comments: this is the latest documentary from Luke Korem ("Dealt"). Here he reassesses the life and times of Rob and Fab, the front of Milli Vanilli whose lives were ostracized by the music industry and indeed the world at large when it turned out they had lip-synced all along. Thankfully Korem digs deeper and top executives of the record label Arista admit to knowing about it well before ti all came crashing down in 1990. Why is it that Rob and Fab were vilified but producer Frank Farian and label boss Clive Davis got off scot free? This documentary fills in the gaps very nicely, and it is long overdue to be honest.

"Milli Vanilli" premiered at last year's Tribeca Festival to immediate critical acclaim. It is currently rated 100% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, if you can believe it. "Milli Vanilli" started streaming on Showtime (now part of Paramount+) last Fall and I just stumbled the other day on it after watching "Thriller 40" (also on SHO). If you are a fan of Milli Vanilli, or simply interested in a footnote in the history of the Grammys, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

The document is good but mostly everyone there is lying their ass off to sugar coat the whole scam. I mean everybody knew before Milli Vanilli that only one person sang in Boney M and the male voice was Frank Farians own voice, I read about it in 1981 and I am just a consumer. And big bosses in Arista disint know about Boney M, Haloo!!! Also they all knew Frank Farian also and he was behind the massive success of Boney M. SO please DONT lie they just all wanted to make tons of money. These days with AI can make dog sing so these days this scam is more the rule, rather than the exception. And in those times there was already C+C Music Factory, Snap, Black Box, they all used model in video than showing who real singer was.

But the whole music scene has change so much from these days so...

This was a great documentary. First and foremost, it brought back some fun memories of the music (even if they didn't sing it). More than anything, though, it humanized them in a way I had never thought about. I always remembered feeling angry that these two had tried to pull a scam on everyone, when in reality it was dozens, if not hundreds of people all keeping quiet because of the millions the album was making. By the end, I felt sadness for them instead of anger. There have been some great music docs lately... WHAM, and now this. And girl you know it's true that I ordered the CD after watching. Go ahead and judge all ya want.

This is an absolutely riveting study into the fickle nature of fame as well as the price that must ultimately be paid for lies. It's also a peek behind the curtain of the music industry and the money that fuels it. Along the way lives are destroyed as two young and naive men get caught up in the whirlwind of fame and get put on a vicious trajectory with doom by forces out of their control. As a person watching this as it occurred in 1990 it is an interesting reminder, but viewers of all ages will enjoy this. It's also an emotional story of redemption for a man who was put under extraordinary international scorn in a no-win situation. Must see viewing for rock/pop aficionados and anyone.

I really enjoyed this documentary. Milli Vanilli was part of my early teen years and I loved their music. The scandal that took them down has been one of the biggest controversies in music history. In all honesty, they were used to make a lot of wealthy people even more money and then they were used to cover and take all the heat off those same people. Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan could not have done all they did without approval from the higher ups being in on all of it.

I've always thought the ill treatment shown to Rob and Fab was a bit misplaced. We've seen how other artists have been treated by producers, managers and labels. They live to make money off of the talent of others. Their contracts, decisions and exploitation can be criminal.

I don't doubt that Rob and Fab wanted to sing their own music but the contract made with their producer was signed before it was revealed that they would be lip syncing. Breach of contract and financial debt was the threat they faced for not complying with the producers plan. I understand why they did it and I understand that the intoxicating effects of fame, adoration and money kept them from coming clean.

The powers that be did the musicians, backup singers, lead vocalists, Rob, Fab and the fans dirty.

If you think you know the story or are just interested in learning about what happened, watch this. It is so worth the time. While Rob's death was tragic, I'm glad to see that Fab is still involved in music. Very good documentary.

The Documentary was right on point, I remember it very well in my youth Milli Vanilli were good performers/entertainers and when the cat was let out the bag actually most fans could have cared less we still like Milli Vanilli even to this day most fans still speak positive about Rob & Fab, they had great stage presence, energy, fashion and dance.

Milli Vanilli created a path for other music industry entertainers to have a great shot at riches & fame JLO I'm sure is thankful for the path they sacrificed and made. MV were great performers/entertainers I enjoyed their music very much They Rocked!

I heard about Milli Vanilli when I was really, really young - right out of toddlerhood, maybe. As such, at the time, I never really understood everything that happened back then involving this "scandal", but it always surprised me how vehemently ANGRY quite a few people would become at the thought of these two men, Robert Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan having "lip-synced some songs". (Yes, that's pretty much what I knew of it). As I grew up, I understood more of it, especially because I was involved in dance, but still, the indignation and ire with which some people referred to it, always escaped me. As much WRONG that was done by these guys, much worse was actioned by the ones who used them and benefitted from them. Can anyone who sees this documentary, truly say they would not at least pause and consider the dream-come-true which was presented to be plucked? If anything, they brought the world some GREAT tunes which otherwise may not have been made or may not have had the success and airplay they did. What a shame that the brunt of the fallout and fallback, as this documentary shows, was paid by the two performers.

I am NOT referring to Rob or Fab!!!

Honestly who cares if they were lip syncing??? I was in my 20's when the scandal happened and I still bought their music! They weren't the best entertainers out there but they were unique, eye catching and had sex appeal.

These record studios, execs, song writers etc knew exactly what was happening. If they didn't know in the beginning, they knew at some point. Everyone was about the money!! Just be honest! I guess they have their reputations to maintain but everyone knows record studios are vultures!!!

Ingrid pissed me off. She was so dishonest and disrespectful towards Rob and Fab. All that laughing and dismissive hand gestures spoke volumes. Of course she needed alcohol to get through the interview...I wish Rob never trusted her!!!! I just have no sympathy for her. She contributed to Rob and Fab's demise with her boyfriend/boss.

If you look closely at Fab's face during the Grammy picture taking portion of the documentary you can tell he did not look happy at all. Rob was just so happy to be loved and admired. But you could see the nervousness on Fab's face.

Also the fake outrage of the media at that conference was ridiculous!!! I thought Rob and Fab handled it very well!!! No one can deny the racial undertones (or overtones) of this scandal.

What this documentary did not say was that they only sold 2000 albums because the company that took a chance on them was already going out of business. So no one knows if they would have sold more records had they had a bigger machine behind them.

Charles Shaw is bitter to say the least but you really cant blame him.

Frank is somewhere living his best life with his millions. Hope it was all worth it....

Even after living through the rise and fall of Milli Vanilli, one could not understand how this was even possible. But looking at this documentary, it is almost a prediction it was going to happen eventually.

How many people were not only duped but participated in this whole scam? Now you can see the whole picture through the lens of the characters and you cannot really blame anyone but everyone.

They were even able to fool the most powerful people in the industry.

The two singers were vilified and accused. But now it is clear to me, they were only pawns. Here is the thing: it was good music.

Must see even if you never heard of Milli Vanilli.

The music is only part of the success; Rob & Fab sold it and sold it well. They were patsies who took a big one for the crooked team. I loved these guys and still do. They are Milli Vanilli, as are the original singers, the producers, the labels, etc. But only Rob & Fab suffered. Super documentary, but the ending was the best and brought me to tears; they really can sing-that's the whole irony. As Americans can we really throw stones? We just want to be entertained at any cost. These are two human beings who were promised the world as youths and took it. And when exposed, owned it. "An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips".

-King Solomon.

MV was my era and I remember the so called scandal but never followed as I didn't think it was a big deal - watching this documentary it's just sad there was no one to represent them as the young kids they were and expose the real culprits to this harsh tragedy at the time. I was rather stunned to learn fans started a lawsuit - and to think MV were the only ones that knew about the lip syncing? And that the army behind them had nothing to do with it? This documentary showing the nitty gritty of powerful people hopefully will help the younger generation not to conform to the threat. That is all!

As a teenager in the 80s, I remember Milli Vanilli well. I was never a big fan of the duo, but I couldn't help but get the massive attention and success the group got. Also their abrupt end to their pop career.

After watching this good, insightful documentary, I am primarily saddened by their story. Two young men who wanted to be "stars" more than anything else. Producer Frank Farian immediately saw potential, but opted for a sinister formula; they mimed to their own tunes. Skilled studio musicians and singers provided all vocals.

The success was immediate and massive. But it was all a ticking bomb and as this documentary shows; Milli Vanilli became the scapegoat of the whole world.

This documentary has similarities to many other films and documentaries about the pop industry; money rules everything.

The documentary is painful to watch, the boys' rise ended in total disaster for them, both professionally and on a personal level. The people behind it, the producer and the record company escaped without a single scratch in the paintwork. The boys became the sinners who were put to the slaughter.

Nevertheless, it is also a historical victory. It is possible to get back up even after being torn apart in public.

I have the impression that their story is unfortunately not unique. How many pretty faces that we've dug the music for over the years are tricksters?

The documentary at least corrects some of my impression of the duo. They were not without fault themselves, but paid an incredibly high price for a fraud that many powerful players were part of.

I am grateful that I got to learn about Fabrice's journey and his life today. I was one of the millions that bought the tapes and records and even begged my mom to drive me to Blockbuster to rent their music video VHS when it came out.

The documentary does an incredible job of telling the story of those who are still around to tell it, and those who aren't. (Rest In Power, Rob) I learned a lot about how it started, and how it all blew up. The decisions people made in this story are their own, and the consequences are undeniable. It is beautiful to see how someone can choose a new path, forge forward, and even reconcile their past with their present. It is heartbreaking to see how addiction can totally consume a human being. (First the person takes the drink, and then the drink takes the person.)

I was truly moved by this doc and am taking away way more than just trivia about a pop act that came out when I was in high school. Thank you to the filmmakers and thank you to Fabrice for telling us your story.

Great documentary and just goes to show how fans do not like to be manipulated. Now singers are highly autotuned and many pop stars lip sync in their concerts but the shame is that all they needed to do was some voice training and I think still would have been successful. They should not have been criticized as their were, they were not the brains of this operation. Fab has done well now, he has an amazing voice and beautiful family ... unfortunately Rob did not get to experience any of that. If this had happened in the 2000s to now, it would not be even considered wrong but in the 1980s, this would have been definitely seen as wrong. The producers and labels should have definitely taken on the blame for this.

The one thing you get from this even if they tried as hard as possible to portray rob and fab as the victims they were not at all until everything fell apart. I remember this very well and even at the time I'm like. "So what they look good and the music is good, this is entertainment so enjoy" But I also understand why people lost their minds when they realized they had not sung on their albums or in person. I think its because people like to believe that talent is natural and not a façade. But alot of people behind the scenes knew what was going on and no one but them really paid the price. 500000 records sold and Rob ended up on the streets and then dead. And we know someone or a whole bunch of people made a lot of money off them. And the true singers knew what they were doing they took the money to and stayed quiet until they wanted more money and the recognition. John Davis Brad Howell and Shaw all acted incensed but then they tried to cash in with Frank Farien right after MV downfall. Good documentary but they needed to get some more people on camera and twist some arms especially Farien who refused to talk.

The energy this documentary conveyed aligned with the emotions I'm sure Rob and felt! The director took the time to lay out the story well from beginning to end. I was engaged the whole time. Growing up during this time as a kid the only thing I ever knew about Milli Vanilli was that they did lip synch. Thank you for bringing visibility and truth to their story and how the industry preys on young, vulnerable creatives. They were great performers and Frank was a horrible individual. Blame it on the rain has such a symbolic meaning after watching this documentary and listening to Fab sing it at the end.

Worth seeing reportage, but a few things caught my eye: The story told has gaps, especially when it comes to the most important details:

Farian supposedly finished the song and then he argues with Rob Pilatus and tells them they won't sing. Why?

There's something missing.

I still remember when the scandal broke and the media reported how embarrassing the two of them sang: I thought the media criticism was exaggerated because of the similarity in their voices.

Today I know, it was the blame game of the media machine, that make money off young people wanting to become stars and are willing to do everything for it.

Thankfully, you can hear it clearly again in this documentary: The similarity in timbre is absolutely there.

Both in singing and in rapping.

Frank Farian is a perfectionist.

If you pay close attention, the gaps in the story and the similarity of the voice make it plausible that he probably tried the vocals with both of them:

Why should he have played the instrumental for both of them and not tried the vocals?

It seems much more plausible to me that vocal recordings were of course attempted - why not? It was his studio, everything was there, no extra costs.

But the level he expected as a perfectionist was not there.

If you listen to the songs today, you'll see that they are incredibly well produced. EVERYTHING just fits.

That's what bothers me about the report: Black and white.

Now instead of the two Vanillis, Farian is essentially made into the bogeyman.

Another question I ask myself: Who paid for the drug withdrawal?

And why is Rob close to Frank's lover?

Most people are only interested in films and music as consumers.

But the makers of music and films not only know the reality of show business, but also what makes the masses of consumers tick. They want idols and identify with them. And we get that.

All you have to do is listen to what the boomer generation says about the Beatles or Stones... As if Flower Power, Peace, Love & Rock'n Roll were ever authentic and Tavistock and Laurel Canyon never existed. As if youth culture, in the age of mass media, just emerged like that...

The moral of the story shouldn't be that Frank Farian is the villain who got away scot-free - the moral should be that the pursuit of fame destroys people.

A bit of unusual review because have not been able to watch this as only available on Paramount, why is not available on any other channel for everyone to see. Would be really nice to tell their side of this story at last as they both probably suffered a lot abuse over this story and seeing as only of the guys still with us in memory of him would be respectful if everyone could hear their story. And turns out they could sing and totally ruined their career. So please can we watch thos on any of the other channels as we pay for enough of them and not willing to pay for this as well but would love to watch.