At first the film wasn't very interesting to me, but then I noticed the main point of it and changed my mind. Of course, "Shades" isn't a chef-d'ouevre though it's very real, brutal and sad. It shows up the wrong side of Tinseltown as it is, with all its dirt and meanness. This film doesn't give any hopes of real acting talents, sincere feelings and fairness in the movie industry. Everybody wants to use the others in the movie to get to his own intentions, from producer and main actor to the last studio's worker and lawyers. In the end everybody are very glad and satisfied that they could to use the others. One man whom I pity in the film is Freddy Lebecq because he was one honest person and just wanted to live free.Mickey Rourke was himself as in real life - long hair, mixed clothes, many cigarettes, usual loneliness. and with one of his dogs. He was similar to an old man, clever and so tied, who watches mad world around him and doesn't interfere in nobody's affairs."Shades" has many dignities such as good play of actors, realistic plot, honesty, noir humour and many others. If you didn't appreciate this film you understood nothing.

I've seen this movie and for a moment i was astonished. Not used to that sort of movies in belgium i would give all actors and crew all my compliments. Nice job!

I liked this movie very much. Erik Van Looy is a good director. Proof is his other movie Ad Fundum. Shades is a very special movie. You must be familar with the (Belgian) movie industry to understand most of the story. In my opinion this movie is a biography of the Belgian director/screenplaywriter Guy Lee Thys and guess what ? He's also one of the 3 screenplaywriters of Shades :-) Coincidence or....???? I had alot of fun with this movie because I recognize alot of facts and urban legends about the Belgian Movie industry in it. If you never been 'an insider' in the Belgian Movie industry you'll find this movie a bit boring maybe altrough there're some great actors in it who play very nice like Mike Verdrengh and Gene Bervoets. Mickey Rourke is okay but I saw better movies of him. It's worth a try, but don't expect an easy movie. It's a special movie and that's why some people call it a bad movie, but I do not agree with that. Not the best Belgian movie ever made, but certainly not the worst movie either. That credit goes to 'De leeuw van Vlaanderen' but that's another story.

This film was shot in my home town, the main reason I went to see it. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. While certainly not a masterpiece, 'Shades' is a treat for two reasons : its mild albeit funny comment on the film industry and its unashamed 'American' approach. Its main aim is to entertain, and if it manages to work on quite a few levels along the way, who's gonna complain? A smart blend of fact and fiction, it focuses on the filming of the life of serial killer Freddy Lebeck -who, as Belgian viewers may note, looks an eerie lot like real-life mass murderer Freddy Horion. He, for one, is famous for never taking of his shades. Slick and fast-paced direction makes for a flashy thriller, and although no-one in it will be winning an Oscar any time soon, the many jokes and winks will help to hold your attention until the very end -which, I will reveal, is pretty original in comparison to what Belgian cinema has been calling conclusions lately. Add to this the admirable quality to poke fun at itself, and it's perfect for a rainy day.