EL SEGUNDO HERALD September 23, 2021 Page 5
Entertainment
Film Review
Mayday Review: A Sisterhood of
Soldiers Run The World
By Morgan Rojas for Cinemacy
Sisterhood reigns supreme in writer/director
Karen Cinorre’s action film, Mayday. Take
a trip to this women-dominated fantasyland,
and you’ll find that pent-up rage from years
of gender-based injustice is personified as
WW2-era ladies as cold-blooded killers. Best
described as a “feminist war film,” Mayday‘s
callousness stops just short of being a full out
“anti-men” to be a thought-provoking, femaleempowering
fantasy film. In theaters and VOD
on Friday, October 1st.
For Ana (Grace Van Patten), a caterer at a
small venue in town, an approaching storm
acts as a daunting premonition of changes to
come. Although she’s (unfortunately) used to
being taken advantage of by her sleazy male
superiors, it’s clear that she still values the
friendships with the rest of her co-workers,
men and women alike. On this particular stormy
day, however, Ana’s natural submissiveness is
about to come face to face with a domineering
feminist future, in which supernatural events
occur that transport Ana into an alternate reality
where women are in charge.
It’s no coincidence that Ana is wearing a
blue dress and white apron combo (much like
Alice falling into Wonderland), awakening on
an unfamiliar coastline. Dazed and confused,
she is taken in by Marsha (Mia Goth), who acts
as the white rabbit to Ana’s Alice. Her memory
wiped clean, Marsha provides context as to
where she is: it seems that Ana’s fallen into a
fever dream where the patriarchy doesn’t exist.
Marsha introduces Ana to two more women,
Gert (Soko) and Bea (Havana Rose Liu), a
band of women and sorority of soldiers whose
mission is to lure and kill every man who views
them as a damsel in distress… AKA, all men.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a “good” guy or
a “bad” guy in Mayday–so long as you’re a
guy, you’re a target. It’s a divisive premise
that may ruffle a few feathers, but much
like its characters, Mayday isn’t interested in
playing it safe. Director Karen Cinorre’s bold
vision is brought to life in beautiful fashion
by cinematographer Sam Levy who, after
working on films like Lady Bird and Frances
Ha, knows a thing or two about creating a
cinematic environment for strong women to
thrive. Adding to the film’s edginess is experimental
composer Colin Stetson (Hereditary),
who opens the floodgates of chaos with his
chilling polyphonic sax.
In Mayday, Cinorre makes a strong statement
on the roles that men and women play
in society, which is further strengthened by its
excellent cast. Grace Van Patten and Mia Goth
give hard-hitting performances, with both an
emotional and physical range on full display.
And can we just say, that any film that Juliette
Lewis is in, is already that much better. Mayday
might not be for everyone (even I cringed
at some of the one-liners that came off as a
little “emo”), but the bigger question is well
worth asking: Would the world be better with
women in charge? •
Breathe Like a Bear by Kira Willey,
Illustrated by Anni Betts
By Kristina Kora-Beckman, Senior
Librarian, El Segundo Public Library
This collection of mindful moments provides
fun ways for kids (and adults) to feel calm and
focused anytime, anywhere. Broken down in
purposeful sections including Be Calm, Make
Some Energy and Relax, each colorful spread
includes a simple metaphor, instructions and
accessible imagery that help achieve the desired
result. Exercises include yoga movements
such as stretching, meditation visualizations
and breathing practices that encourage mind/
body connections.
I enjoyed meditative exercises such as
Imagine You’re a Tree where it encouraged
readers to be any kind of tree they want,
and reminded them that like trees, we have
both strong roots to provide security and
strong branches to reach for new experiences.
Additionally, my son and I found exercises such
as Hot Chocolate and Candle Breath helpful
when learning to appropriately regulate emotions,
calm down after a busy day and connect.
The instructions are relaxed for beginners and
easy enough to remember for future moments
in need of mindfulness.
With today’s hectic schedules and prevalent
anxiety due to factors often out of our control,
learning how to “stop for a minute and pay
attention to what’s going on inside of you” is
more important than ever.
For more mindful titles for kids and adults,
please visit our website www.elsegundolibrary.
org or stop by our adult and youth service desks.
Our friendly staff can help you find you find
your next great read, material for school assignments,
or research other information needs. •
Check It Out
Mayday, courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
Morgan Rojas
Breathe Like a Bear by Kira Willey, Illustrated by Anni Betts
Kristina Kora-Beckman
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