Much Loved

"Much loved" was beyond my expectations, it felt so raw and authentic. I almost questioned if it was acting or not truly something you don't see every day. The movie sheds light on a subject that's very hard to grasp without making it shallow or glorified (which many other movies do). It shows the true paradox of a complex culture without really shedding bad light nor mocking it. The actors spoke more with their body language than with words and that made the move as exceptional as it is. You truly felt what they felt just by looking at their eyes. Lastly, by showing scenes that where truly hard to watch and no where near glorified made the characters truly come alive, they weren't shy - they where bright and filled with color.

"Much loved" is a real masterpiece and truly one of a kind.

No suprise this film was never showed in its country, I even find it difficult to understand how it could be made, it shows well how things work there, how every public servant is on sale and prone to abuse the weak, and the extreme hypochresy of societe about sex, prostitution and overall the clients

there is a scene at the police station than may well represent the whole picture of the movie, I will not explain to avoid spoilers

great acting most of the time and very well direction also, a must see if you are into exploring good movies outside the mainstream.

I appreciate how un-judgmental Ayouch is in his 'Much Loved' – a portrait of 4 young prostitutes living together in Marrakech, going to parties with Saudi sheikhs to dance for and ultimate have sex with the men. At the same time they function as a kind of family to hold the world at bay and provide for each other the human tenderness all humans need. (Their real families have rejected them, or left Morocco or died)

The film making never feels exploitive or melodramatic. The life of a medium level hooker in Morocco is shown as neither glamorous nor the depth of hell. It's tough, it's sad, it's degrading, and yet it's clear the world isn't brimming with other ways for these women to make good money, and to live – kinda, sorta – on their own terms. It's also a powerful cry against the abuse of these women in particular but also all women (and gay men) in Morroccos patriarchal society.

On the other hand, I feel like I've been here before more artfully. For example, Paul Thomas Anderson explored how porn stars and crews became each others extended family in "Boogie Nights", but did it with more style, and ultimately more insight and emotion. Whether Lizzie Borden's 'Working Girls' or many other examples, this is hardly new territory if you're not digging deeper than this film does.

Clearly Ayouch is drawn to the outsiders on the edge of society. The three films of his I've seen dealt with; street urchins trying to bury a murdered friend, young boys being trained as terrorists, and now prostitutes. But there's more to exploring these worlds than being real and accepting. For me, all three films (the other two being "Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets" and "Horses of God") while admirable in intent, ultimately didn't go deep enough, and risk feeling like the movie equivalent of an old US 'liberal' TV movie. There's more to really understanding than a lack of moralistic preaching, or accepting the basic humanity of those whom some would deny.

Still, it's well acted, and I appreciated the nice touches of humor and humanity. I just wish it was great.

This movie shows in a very realistic form what is behind prostitution: the life and feelings of prostitute themselves. Some scenes are very crude, but there is no vulgarity or pornography in this movie; the reality which is presented is vulgar, the film is not. The intelligent aspect of this movie is that it doesn't impose any moral judgment: it only shows facts, people, the ones who pay for prostitution, the ones who take advantage of it (sometimes condemning it at the same time), the ones who accept it... Even if the reality of the four women and the man making their living by selling their body is often sad, the movie is not tearful; it is full of life, energy and some lines are even very funny. The three main actresses play with great talents these subtle and difficult roles.

Numbers of movies are made around the world on prostitutes and this one is not exceptional. Nude scenes are easily used in such movies in the name of creativity to get eye balls. If makers of such movies are truly sensitive to the subject they need to make it without vulgar dialogues and scenes.