BeSummers Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Suman Roberson It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Un Zievereir Not a lover of Erik Van Looy's output, even for him this really is terrible. Mickey Rourke's presence in crap b movies is not unusual, but this is the worst I have seen him in. Erik Van Looy has seemingly made a career based on plastic TV crimi films posing as gritty thrillers on the big screen. His films appeal to the modern desire for low brow entertainment to parade as something more realistic and intelligent.Despite the mediocrity, his films are generally successful among his fellow Flemish, even making waves beyond the Dutch speaking world. "Loft", probably his most successful film, seems to have even suffered a Hollywood remake."Shades" is unwatchably dull and poor. Mr. Van Looy is probably more at home as a TV show host rather than working in cinema.

Tom Demuynck (geniale_schildpad) Okidokie.When Shades was first released, they marketed it like hell, or at least, so I've heard. Final result: high expectations, few adorations.Time zap. Six years later. 'Shades' is practically forgotten; it seems to have retreated into the shadows of director Van Looy's acclaimed third film 'Alzheimer Case', a major blockbuster.Thank god for Canvas, more or less the cultural TV station of Flanders, and its great show 'FilmFactory'. Thank god I got the chance to watch 'Shades'. No media attention, no high expectations, just me and a television set.I loved it. Great acting, good story, good cinematics... A superb film, that hopefully can step out of the Alzheimer-shadows. Until then, enjoy this bashed but excellent cult film. Van Looy is truly one of Flander's finest.

liorelin 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.

yuri-17 This is probably the first belgian movie that has the "allure" of a hollywood picture, which was the director's goal after all. You could see it as a mix between "The Player"and"Silence of the lambs". The absolute + on the movie is the fact that it tells a story and laughs with itself at the same time.the story is about a film crew which is making a movie about a serial killer, and on the set everything goes wrong. The bit of cliché "film in film" is funny , entertaining and sometimes even exciting. In short : well worth seeing !!