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.