Phonearl Good start, but then it gets ruined
Stellead Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful
Reptileenbu Did you people see the same film I saw?
Cooktopi The acting in this movie is really good.
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.
Jonathan Maxwell Reeves 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.
now_its_dark 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.
Joyce Hauchart The cast is great, directing and acting are sublime, Rourke plays himself, including dog. The sound track is even better. The dialogues are in Flemish and English, but after 10 minutes you forget this detail and the language sounds real.Great story, a movie within a movie. Anyone who has ever been on a set will recognize the plot, subplots etc.Why did this movie flop? Nobody made faults, not the director, not the actors etc. The main problem is the story line. Who is the bad guy and who is the good guy. They all seem equal. You can't identify yourself with Howard, Bervoets or Decleir.Great movie, but no box office.
