{"id":28445,"date":"2024-02-26T20:45:06","date_gmt":"2024-02-27T01:45:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/?p=28445"},"modified":"2025-08-01T22:19:43","modified_gmt":"2025-08-02T02:19:43","slug":"likeness-film-review-2024-a-compelling-flick-about-a-compelling-contemporary-issue-by-greggwmorris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/likeness-film-review-2024-a-compelling-flick-about-a-compelling-contemporary-issue-by-greggwmorris\/","title":{"rendered":"LIKENESS Film Review 2024: A Compelling Flick About a Compelling Contemporary Issue"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@Omeleto\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Premiered today, Monday, February 26 on the YouTube channel Omeleto.<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"LIKENESS | Teaser Trailer\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/778302714?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"860\" height=\"484\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This reviewer regards LIKENESS, written and directed by David A. Flores, as a shimmering work-in-progress, almost-finished-final-draft for a promising feature-length film \u2013\u2013 even though it\u2019s been getting considerable attention since it popped up on the cinematic stage in 2023 as a 14-minute film short on the film short festival circuit.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t get me wrong. The short is a hoot about a young woman using an Artificial Intelligence site to help her find her mom when she comes to be believe the police authorities are not doing a decent job finding her mom. The smartly crafted opening scenes of LIKENESS shows the forensically detective AI program I gobbling up digital content about Kaitlin\u2019s mom from social media accounts and other archival platforms that mom used, resulting in an uncanny, spitting image videographic apparition of Kaitlin\u2019s mom. And the way the two interact is affecting.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_28481\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28481\" class=\"size-full wp-image-28481\" src=\"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/likeness-daughter.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"438\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/likeness-daughter.jpg 700w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/likeness-daughter-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/likeness-daughter-560x350.jpg 560w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/likeness-daughter-260x163.jpg 260w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/likeness-daughter-160x100.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-28481\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">LIKENESS 2023 &#8211; Kaitlin played Mary Rose Branick<\/p><\/div>\n<p>What may at first look like a sci-fi movie is really an affective human interest story wrapped in the cinematic trappings about one of the most topics of the century. Writer-Director David Flores\u2019 timing couldn\u2019t be better. Nevertheless, this reviewer has to add this info: <em>Artificial intelligence applies computer science and robust datasets to problem-solving, aided by machine learning and deep learning. The applications for the technology are growing, but not without controversy over issues such as accuracy, misinformation and ethics.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr align=\"center\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"2\" width=\"70%\" \/>\n<p>Based on numerous interviews with directors, producers and filmmakers over the years, this reviewer learned this about 4-and-5-star film shorts of this caliber: They are generally used for industry experience and as a platform to showcase talent to secure funding for future projects from private investors, a production company, or film studios. They can also be released with feature films, and can also be included as bonus features on some home video releases.<\/p>\n<p>The short will wet cinematic appetites. The feature that this reviewer suspects is in the works seriously could be a mindbender.<\/p>\n<p>Written and Directed by David A. Flores<br \/>\nProduced by Kyle Little<br \/>\nProduction Company: Pacific Saguaro<br \/>\nEdited by Andrew Nolan<br \/>\nDirector of Photography, Carrie Morgan<br \/>\nMusic by Bruce Witkin<br \/>\nStarring Mary Rose Branick and Virginia Newcomb<\/p>\n<p>Pictures, Graphics, Trailer Courtesy of Pacific Saguaro<\/p>\n<hr align=\"center\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"2\" width=\"70%\" \/>\n<p>Instead of hiring a private detective \u2013 a Columbo or a Phillip Marlowe \u2013 to help her find her mom, Kaitlin, played by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm11486970\/?ref_=tt_cl_t_1 1486970\/?ref_=tt_cl_t_1&quot;&gt;https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm11486970\/?ref_=tt_cl_t_1&lt;\/a&gt;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mary Rose Branic,<\/a> employs an artificial intelligence program to be her gumshoe.<\/p>\n<p>One of the interesting plot features the are jazzy segments when Katilin interacts with the AI-Generated Apparition (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm1233662\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">played by Virginia Newcomb<\/a>) as if she is conversing with real mom \u00ad\u2013 before snapping back into the reality of the moment that she is not talking to her real mom. There are also moments when it appears that the AI-Apparition is more mom than AI \u2013 all of this adding a kind of transcendent, Twilight-Zone-Like feel to LIKENESS.<\/p>\n<p>So, LIKENESS is being pitched as a film short about a young woman who works with an AI version of her mom to find her missing real mom but it is so much more. Director Flores, in a statement, said,\u00a0 \u201cLIKENESS is a universal story about grief and acceptance. Anyone who has experienced loss can relate to this story.\u201d<span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The film stars newcomer (and, according to film publicity, star-in-the-making) Mary Rose Branick and indie gem Virginia Newcomb of A24\u2019s THE DEATH OF DICK LONG, IFC\u2019s THE BETA TEST.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm4293310\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">David A. Flores Internet Movie Data Base.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/davidfloreswrites.com\/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>If you need to know more about David A Flores, Click here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_28482\" style=\"width: 666px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28482\" class=\"size-large wp-image-28482\" src=\"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/david-flores-1024x652.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"656\" height=\"418\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/david-flores-1024x652.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/david-flores-300x191.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/david-flores-768x489.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/david-flores-560x357.jpg 560w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/david-flores-260x166.jpg 260w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/david-flores-160x102.jpg 160w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/david-flores.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 656px) 100vw, 656px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-28482\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">LIKENESS 2024 &#8211; Far Left, Writer-Director David A. Flores<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_7155\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7155\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7155\" src=\"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/gwm-700x700-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/gwm-700x700-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/gwm-700x700-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/gwm-700x700-560x560.jpg 560w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/gwm-700x700-260x260.jpg 260w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/gwm-700x700-160x160.jpg 160w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/gwm-700x700.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7155\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Editor, Publisher Gregg W. Morris @ gregghc@comcast.net, profgreggwmorris@gmail.com<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This film short will wet cinematic appetites. The feature that this reviewer suspects is in the works could be a mindbender.<br \/>Review by Gregg W. Morris<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-p\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/likeness-film-review-2024-a-compelling-flick-about-a-compelling-contemporary-issue-by-greggwmorris\/\">Read more &rarr;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":28485,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28445"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28445\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28488,"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28445\/revisions\/28488"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}