"Half-Blood Prince" was released in 2009 and became the only film in the series to earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography. Yates worked alongside French cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel on, what Yates called, extensively colour grading the "incredibly rich" picture by making it look "very European" and drawing influences from the Dutch painter Rembrandt. The film garnered a mix of accolades and was acclaimed for its stylised character-driven approach, but some fans complained about the script's deviation from the novel and the film's slight romantic comedy nature. In response to this criticism, renowned BAFTA member and film critic Mark Kermode praised Yates's direction and ranked the film "second best" in the series, behind "Prisoner of Azkaban".