Hayuta and Berl is the story of a day in the life of an elderly socialist couple trying to survive in a world that is not theirs anymore. The movie opens with a strong scene where the couple need to show a social worker how fit they are physically and mentally by performing some humiliating tasks in order to keep their stipend.
A story in the newspaper about a family having to search of leftover food from dumpsters prompts Berl to try and build up a new socialist organisation. He tries to reach out to other people, including the family in the article, but he is met with scepticism and confusion. While Berl is living in the memory of his old ideals and overestimates his feelings of independence, Hayuta has to deal with everyday real life struggles: she needs medicine she doesn't have the money for, can't afford having a drink at a cafe, and, very much like the family Berl feels sorry for, has to find leftover food from the market so they have something to eat.
The movie shows the struggles of this couple in a young and capitalistic world: their interactions with young people are difficult, distant (there is usually a glass wall separating them), full of confusion, and are always about money. A scene with Berl at a costume shop is the kindest of these interactions, and also the best.
These bittersweet scenes are very effective, although maybe sometimes a bit too on the nose. Towards the end however, when Hayuta confronts Berl with the reality of their lives, the movie becomes very preachy and formulaic. The destruction of their world becomes very literal and the acting gets stiff and artificial. This negates the stronger scenes earlier in the film, and it makes the ending seem rushed.
A story in the newspaper about a family having to search of leftover food from dumpsters prompts Berl to try and build up a new socialist organisation. He tries to reach out to other people, including the family in the article, but he is met with scepticism and confusion. While Berl is living in the memory of his old ideals and overestimates his feelings of independence, Hayuta has to deal with everyday real life struggles: she needs medicine she doesn't have the money for, can't afford having a drink at a cafe, and, very much like the family Berl feels sorry for, has to find leftover food from the market so they have something to eat.
The movie shows the struggles of this couple in a young and capitalistic world: their interactions with young people are difficult, distant (there is usually a glass wall separating them), full of confusion, and are always about money. A scene with Berl at a costume shop is the kindest of these interactions, and also the best.
These bittersweet scenes are very effective, although maybe sometimes a bit too on the nose. Towards the end however, when Hayuta confronts Berl with the reality of their lives, the movie becomes very preachy and formulaic. The destruction of their world becomes very literal and the acting gets stiff and artificial. This negates the stronger scenes earlier in the film, and it makes the ending seem rushed.