Before Much Loved played at the Internation Film Festival Rotterdam there was a lot of commotion around this film. It was banned in its home country of Morocco because it defied the moral values and image of Moroccan women and both its director, Nabil Ayouch as the actrices were receiving threats. But what was the cause of all of it?
The movie follows the lives of four prostitutes in Morocco and knowing that it is better to understand why this film has caused so much discussion. Still, it doesn’t change the fact that there are women doing this to make money, also in Morocco. It might be a painful truth for some that they might not want to face. But what about Much loved itself, is it worth seeing? The four women live together in one house and are driven to various parties by the same driver. Once there they do everything possible to win the hearts of the men there to earn as much money as they can. Not all men want the same thing and the women sometimes even steal money if they see an opportunity. The share their joy and pain with each other and that sometimes results in conflict.
Even though the actresses act in a really natural way and you witness the situations they end up in, it is difficult to really get a clear feeling about the message of this film. It shines a light on a social problem and shows that these women are powerless when they are treated wrongly. Maybe the goal was to start a discussion about the position of these women and it certainly has done that. But because this movie has a lot of scenes which are set during various parties it can feel a bit monotonous. More focus on the personal moments, like they way they are treated and the way family handles their job, might have had more impact.
