Released just this past October as part of the New York Indie Film Festival, Michael Kravinsky's Geographically Desirable may have a seemingly awkward title but it's a definitely winning film.

Nicole (Blair Bowers) is an overworked and sleep deprived television newswoman whose life is thrown a curve when she inherits a house and a dog in a small, quirky town. Nicole decides to keep Charlie, the dog, but sell the house. In the process of selling the house, the people of this small town grab her and won't let go in their kindness to her.

Sound familiar? Probably.

Trust me. It works.

If there's one thing that I truly appreciated about Geographically Desirable, it's that Kravinsky doesn't really judge either of Nicole's worlds, embodying both sides of the coin with richness of humanity, humor, heart, and a sense of purpose.

I suppose it also helps to have an actress the caliber of Bowers up front-and-center in the film. Bowers, working incredibly well from Kravinsky's script, portrays Nicole as a woman of talent, intelligence, sensitivity, and insight rather than the usual unhealthy, off-balance, and victimizing portrayal we far too often see in this kind of film. Nicole's situations are realistic, her choices feel authentic, and she herself feels like someone we could identify with rather than simply another out-of-touch character.

If you've ever found yourself lamenting that your life has become consumed by work, no matter how much you actually love your job, then there's a pretty good chance that you'll find yourself related to Geographically Desirable. At its essence, Geographically Desirable has a simple message - sometimes, you simply have to stop, laugh, get out of your comfort zone, and do something else.

Filmed around the Virginia/DC area, Geoographically Desirable looks beautiful courtesy of lensing by K.Quin Paek and Kravinsky's own editing. Liza Figueroa Kravinsky's original music companions the film quite nicely, while the entire ensemble cast alongside Bowers possesses a relaxed and believable chemistry that helps Kravinsky sell this simple yet meaningful film.

For more information on Geographically Desirable, visit the film's website.

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic