I was very quickly drawn to Molly Bernard's Gwen Harbinger, a solitary artist in her 30s and the key character in writer/director Jessie Weber Kass's engaging, emotionally resonant 16-minute short film A Nice Lady. 

Gwen looks and feels like any number of people we've passed in our own lives, perphaps at work or at play or while running along some getaway trail where we clear our minds and our hearts. Gwen runs through New York's Central Park on a daily basis, her solitary presence seemingly detached from the world around here as if it really ever goes away. It is during one such run that she encounters the light and spirited Hilary (Pearl Amanda Dickson) and Zephyr (Luke Nieves), a quieter and more intense soul who is also Hilary's partner. 

Hilary and Zephyr are between apartments. One gets the sense that Gwen has never experienced such a dilemma despite being a less than successful artist. A moment of longing leads Gwen to invite the two into her arm, an invitation that immediately has unexpected positives as the two gratefully begin selling Gwen's art. 

Suddenly, it would seem, Gwen is on the verge of success. 

Of course, things are seldom this simple and they are certainly not so even within the limited time frame of a 16-minute film. The unsettled Gwen is suddenly thrust into unfamiliars - visibility, intimacy, and a shifting of who she is and how she sees herself. 

A Nice Lady isn't necessarily a big film nor is it about big moments. For those who resonate with the film, it will likely be out of resonating with its simplicity and with how these characters act within smaller moments. Molly Bernard is sublime as a slowly peeled open Gwen, a "nice lady" whose presence always feels as if more is bubbling underneath the surface. I'd venture to say that most of us have known women like Gwen, women whose life experiences are bigger than society allows them to be - society demands repression where rage should exist. Society demands timidity and restraint where full-bodied assertion is warranted. 

I know women like Gwen. I'm certain you do. You may be a woman like Gwen. 

A Nice Lady is a dramatic, meaningful film brought beautifully to life by its intuitive, soulful cast. Bernard is, of course, sublime and complemented excellently by a charismatic and impossible to ignore Pearl Amanda Dickson and an intriguing, soulful Luke Nieves. Aaron Costa Ganis also shines as Dom. Lensing by Valentina Caniglia is simultaneously immersive yet fantasy-like in the way that it captures the film's Manhattan locale and the shifting relationships of our three leads. Production values are strong across the board. 

Of course, there is then tremendous storytelling from Jessie Weber Kass. The storytelling here is layered and complex and yet feels so natural and relatable that it draws you in and makes you believe in and care about these charactters. The film, which just had its world premiere earlier in August, is the kind of film that lingers and an impressive effort from Jessie Weber Kass. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic