On the same evening that I've reviewed a dark comedy centered around suicide, I'm also tackling this 3-minute short film from co-directors Chris Esper and Don Tempesta. Always a Reason centers around a man (Tempesta) who has lost everything and is contemplating suicide until a sudden phone call causes him to reconsider.

Filmed as part of the Project Greenlight effort, Always a Reason wasn't chosen as a finalist for that project yet Esper and Tempesta are trying to give the film a life anyway. While Always a Reason doesn't necessarily cover any new territory on the issue of suicide, it's brevity may work to its advantage as a companion short in a festival block of films with a social conscience. Almost meditative in presentation, Always a Reason delivers a simple message and leaves you to ponder it quickly and meaningfully.

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic