Snails in the Rain (2013) User Reviews

A good film about a serious situation

[Red-125 · 7/10 · 26 October 2014]

Snails in the Rain (2013) is an Israeli film written and directed by Yariv Mozer. It stars Yoav Reuveni as Boaz, a handsome and intelligent college student. Life is going well for Boaz--he's awaiting a scholarship offer that will probably arrive, he's well-liked, and he has a charming woman who is his fiancée.

When Boaz checks his mailbox for the scholarship letter, what he finds instead is a series of notes written by an anonymous male admirer.

Boaz is uncertain about his sexual orientation. He had a male partner when he was in the military, but appears committed to his female partner now.

The problem--for me--arose when Boaz committed an act of sexual violence against his partner. She let him off with, "That hurt. Don't do it again." I think she should have seen this as a red flag.

You'll have to see the movie to learn how it ends. My guess is that the story will play out for Boaz long after the closing shot of the film.

We saw this movie at the Little Theatre as part of the wonderful ImageOut Rochester LGBT Film Festival. It will work well on DVD.

Promising, but sadly disapointing.

[VJunior205 · 5/10 · 29 November 2022]

The handsome Boaz is waiting for an admissions letter to a university. Everytime he goes and checks his mailbox there is a letter of an anonymous man. The romantic letters have a big effect on Boaz, because he is clearly struggeling with his true feelings. With the flashbacks from his time in the army this gets more and more evident. But he is a "real¨ man, with a girlfriend, so he shouldn't have these feelings...

You can probably guess where this is going, hence the disapointing part. It starts out looking like a movie that will be different, but in the end it is again one of those movies which just seem to want to deliver the following message: You will be sad and lonely if you are gay, better choose the straight way... Which after having watched this movie, makes you feel exactly that way...

On a side note: The title "Snails in the rain" is explained, visually, at the very end of the movie. And it just made me scratch my head, thinking: Why???

Therefore I give it a 5 out of 10, not bad, just sad.

Its an okay film.

[xatian11968 · 6/10 · 24 February 2016]

I enjoyed the film. But I was expecting something a little more involved, than this one sided story. That being said, I still recommend seeing it.

Boaz is the usual 'gay' dream. Which Yoav Reuveni lives up to in the most photogenic way. However, that is all you get. You never know anything more than the notion that his love interest is a writer who loves to write about Boaz. The viewer only barely gets to know the secret writer until well into the final moments of the film, and then when he is revealed, we don't get to know the writer in the way we got to know Boaz.

As a one sided story, the story of Boaz is quite stereotypical. Bi- sexual man has repressed feelings for male touch, and every time he gets touched in that special way by a man he's into, he reverts to over- masculinity, and beats up said man-interests every time.

Sure, you could call this an emotional investigation into Boaz, as he wrestles with his yearning for male touch, while accepting that his life is with his girlfriend. But that's all you are offered. Take it or leave it, seeing Yoav Reuveni rise and fall in sweaty homoerotic lust has its moments. But, you're kind of left wishing there was some resolution to the letters and the writer, that takes a more creative approach to this ultimately quite common gay story; rather than taking the film in that direction, we are left with the ever old stereotype caricature of gay guy likes man, man doesn't like gay guy. Man moves on with girlfriend...

Had the script and timeline of the film started with the ending, and moved backwards to the beginning, maybe we could have had a more tidy ending, with some depth to the secret writer. Alas though, we are left with as much insight on the writer at the end of the film as the beginning. Such is life.

An emotional battle

[Gordon-11 · 18 April 2015]

This film tells the story of a university student who lives with his girlfriend. He receives anonymous love letters from a man, which unleashes his difficult battle with his sexuality.

"Snails in the Rain" places a lot of emphasis on the emotional battle of the main character, Boaz. He is clearly homosexual, and yet he denies himself of his sexuality. The film portrays his troubled life - how he suspects or fantasises every man he sees to be the writer of the romantic love letters. Yet, he continues living with his girlfriend, denying himself and his girlfriend of the happiness they deserve. It is quite a suspenseful but sad film. In addition, eye candies are far from frequent, and those who expect sex scenes will be disappointed.

50/50

[ranz-53708 · 6/10 · 26 March 2018]

I'm confused. And I'm still thinking about the whole storyline of the movie. But yeah, it's good! Still worth watching.

Topless number

[iain-gowers · 7/10 · 19 June 2018]

A good film, probably only real criticism is that the main character seems to be taking his top off too much. Whilst that's not a problem, it seems to be at odds with the rest of the film.

Slight, but interesting

[justahunch-70549 · 7/10 · 18 July 2023]

A nice little film about a gorgeous young man receiving letters in the mail from a male admirer who does not identify himself leaving the young man in question, who gets many admiring looks, suspecting/wondering about so many he comes across if they are the writer. On the surface he appears to be heterosexual as he has a wonderful girlfriend played very well by Moran Rosenblatt. The young man in question is portrayed by Yoav Reuveni who beyond being beautiful is also very good. He also apparently has no interest in being an actor as this film is at the moment 10 years old and he's never made another film since, which is a shame. As we see in flashbacks, when he was in the military, he has homosexual tendencies that he fights fiercely against. Sadly, that is the essence of this entire film. He is clearly bisexual and will probably spend the rest of his life battling this as the final scene sort of implies. It's actually a very abrupt, though interesting ending. The title is completely obscure. You find out where it comes from near the end of this film, but it doesn't have a thing to do with anything that preceded it as far as I could tell.

A Disappointment

[pauleky · 4/10 · 24 July 2017]

I thought perhaps this one would be different, but sadly no. This film left me with an overwhelming sense of sadness. For the main character, for those who deny themselves to live the way society expects. For his girlfriend who ends up in a marriage that's a lie. I could go on. However, suffice to say that it's just another homophobic film dressed up as a "gay" film. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if it was funded by ultra-conservatives. Disappointing. It gets 4/10 only because of the better than usual acting you find in this genre. Also, some of the guys, including the lead actor, are hot. That's about it.

When being beautiful hurts...

[alcorcrisan · 8/10 · 20 September 2014]

An interesting film made in Israel, verging on the thriller and being erotically charged throughout its duration. A kind of staccato rhythm that slowly but surely takes the hero, as well as the characters around him, and the members of the public towards the climax. A study in human nature, and a very beautiful human nature, quite a painfully so one, as the young man seems to feel the gaze of everyone looking at him as a sort of blade cutting through his thin layers of conformism and indecision. The claustrophobia induced by the ever-present girl-friend and exacerbated by the heat alternates with the memories of brief moments of truth and courage lived in the army. Rather disappointingly, the end is marked by a more or less voluntary choice of turning one's back on courage and returning to the trodden path of cowardice and avoidance of one's inner truth.

Another typical homophobic "gay" movie.

[stevedgrossman · 2/10 · 22 April 2017]

Had this movie been made in the time that it allegedly portrays, I would understand, and it would be simply a statement of the times.

However, this movie was made during a time when homosexuality, at least in Tel Aviv, is not only widely accepted, but celebrated.

Tel Aviv is probably the "gayest" city on earth. There are gay couples with children, everywhere. Pride, is huge.

So... why this movie? What are you trying to tell me? That people in 1989 were conflicted? No kidding! That the super-macho Israeli society was... not very accepting, and men who questioned their own sexuality were tortured souls?

The plot and the characters were, VERY predictable. I have seen this

story so many times before.

Waste of 70 minutes of my life that I will NEVER get back. The only reason it was not a 1* was that it was at least, from a technical standpoint, well written, and shot, at thankfully SHORT!

Misled but satisfied

[dbkdances · 8/10 · 4 May 2015]

Just watched this film, and as other reviewers have indicated, the cover photo is misleading.

I think those reviewers who refer to the hero as homosexual, are missing something. Boaz has always been afraid of his own same-sex attraction, and as often as not, strikes out against any gay man who approaches him. One could label him a gay-basher. Homophobic bisexual probably fits him more accurately.

The story takes place in 1989, one year after homosexuality has been decriminalized in Israel and four years before gays could serve openly in the army. As such, it takes place in a time of great change. This factoid may have also played a part in his inner struggle.

Yoav Reuveni, beyond eye candy, gives a nuanced performance. The production is well-paced and professional (a far cry from the early Israeli-gay films). I'm glad to see that Eytan Fox is not the only great Israeli director of gay-themed films.

Confusing and confused story

[qui_j · 1/10 · 1 April 2020]

One can only wonder what the point of this movie...if indeed there was any. The pace is slow, the plot is all over the place, the dialog silly, and the ending ridiculous. It was totally disappointing and a waste of time to watch....except for the lead actor.

a picture

[Kirpianuscus · 5 July 2021]

A story about fragility. Well crafted, good example of tension driving and the change of relation. But the basic virtue is the main actor. His body, his look, his fears, his memories. And, for many motives, seems to be the axis of film. His presence seems enogh for the ambiguity ruling this film about letters, their sender, memories from army and sexual confusion near the academic succes. The good story, at the first sigh, using fair the conflict of couple, few beautiful scenes, , nice acting, provocative subject, not , at first sigh, decent end but a faithful picture of a time and its traits.

slow and boring..

[v-56289 · 3/10 · 29 March 2020]

The movie tries to evoke a lot of emotions.. I guess.. I did not really understand what happened.. what the author wanted to say with this movie... If I watched just the last 15 minutes I would not miss anything... It was not complete rubbish... Therefore still 3 stars..

Consuming paranoia reigns in "Snails in the Rain"

[sinnerofcinema · 10/10 · 17 July 2013]

It's 1989, Boaz (Yoav Eruveni), an extremely alluring and captivating linguistic student is receiving anonymous letters. He goes everyday to the post office to check on the status of a pending scholarship. Instead, he receives obsessive letters detailing very inner feelings from someone very close to him who's invaded his inner peace with emotionally suggestive and romantic overtones. These letters have a deteriorating effect on his psyche as well as his relationship with live in girlfriend Noah (Moran Rosenblatt). As the letters progressively consume the daily thoughts and dealing of Boaz, his inner anguish is unleashed upon his girlfriend, hence having a threatening and corroding effect on him. Paranoia takes over when everyone he meets becomes a possible suspect of the daily correspondence. Doubt ensues as a very conflicted, emotionally fragile and volatile Boaz goes on a quest to find himself while trying to maintain some semblance of sanity as he comes to grips with the reality that his life will no longer be the same courtesy of this secret admirer. Filmmaker Yariv Mozer has assembled an eloquent, intriguing and sexually charged whodunnit drama that slowly unravels the different layers of the main characters inner self. The arrivals of these letter are only the catalyst to which the main character reacts in order to find and deal with his inner demons. Once he's found the cause for the way he's feeling, his passage to acceptance ultimately prove to be sobering and freeing.

This is an excellent and involving film from Israel which reflects the many conflicting layers of despair as the hidden realities of relationships within the confines of higher education propels true feelings to surface forcing the conflicting main character to find himself in the process, as he tries his hardest to blend in with family and society's expectations.

Boring!

[martimusross · 3/10 · 5 March 2024]

Snails in the Rain

This movie opened with the premise that Boaz was supremely attractive and desired by all, and we in the audience must share the same opinion. We then had anonymous letters that were then read by Boaz's girlfriend in the middle of the night, not to mention the troubling stereotypes of Israeli women as largely vacuous awaiting their men to make all the decisions, it really was quite distasteful.

We also had some bizarre lingering glances and strange fight on the beach, what was this movie all about. All I could tell this relationship was never going to work out, did anyone see the terrible food she was cooking lol.

Following a totally unexpected assault we then flashback to national service and an incident with a guy. To suggest some anonymous letters are a precursor to Boaz's self-doubt is just insufficient.

This was just such an old fashioned movie, at best this is a 3 outta 10, I was really bored at the lack of story.

Gorgeous lead actor in a 1980's-set LGBTQ story

[mjanssens26 · 9/10 · 24 February 2020]

First off, the lead actor is incredibly handsome if you're into a tall dark and handsome look. This is an interesting film that would never work today (which is why they placed the storyline in 1989 and into the early 90's). The film is about a gorgeous male protagonist who is receiving anonymous letters from a male admirer and, I leave it at that so you can watch for yourself. Basically, the film is also about the lead character's struggle with his own sexuality. Beautifully filmed with a lot of beautiful male actors. The lead actor and the male actor in the park when they're on the bench together was pretty easy to look at. Great little film and one I'd watch again and again.

Great, subtle, natural acting

[marsmaennchen_b · 8/10 · 29 May 2014]

A very very dense and captivating drama of how sexuality and love or not being loved affects people. Firstly, the camera work makes you follow every second of it tensely, from the very beginning on you feel and see like the main character and follow his every look, and every man you see you think this could be the one writing the letters, but you are never sure and then, secondly, when you meet the girlfriend, you feel as if you know exactly what she's thinking, all in all, their change from being really close to growing apart is portrayed very natural. And then, thirdly, when you learn who the writer is, you can hardly believe it, cause all the hints were so subtle, it could have been everyone, and for him being as confused, it's just normal that he doesn't know, but his girlfriend looking at it from an outside point of view realizes it immediately. And the writers feelings are transported very well, too. In the very end, you feel his sadness and loneliness, and you are able to connect the things you read in the letters to the person. The acting is in general just great! And I love that the whole film is packed of small details and hints and unexplained but understandable things and unspoken reactions and actions, I hate it when it's all to obvious and clumsy!And even the flashbacks, which is often used very badly and unfittingly or just halfway, is done well! I would have liked to see how the whole thing in the army turned out, how it affected him today, but well, the flashback thing still made sense. the only thing that's a little weird is how the writer could get all the information he has about Boaz.