I’m always happy when female actresses, particularly ones over 40, who have spent years playing supporting characters finally get the chance to step into a starring role. That’s the case with Talia Balsam in “South Mountain,” the latest film from Hilary Brougher.

Balsam — whom most folks will remember as Roger Sterling’s wife, Mona, in “Mad Men” — plays Lila, a woman of a certain age who is taking stock of her life in a nondescript upstate New York country house. Her kids are self-sufficient, her husband is on his way out, and she is trying to figure out what’s next.

Her husband has gotten himself a whole second family and Lila has no illusions about reconciling. The film allows us to feel the silences of the unknown, which most writers and directors are not confident enough to show. It’s a lamentation on figuring out how to love and take care of yourself after a lifetime of loving and taking care of other people.

“South Mountain” is now available on VOD.