That's probably not the model Dedio had in mind, but his overly familiar magnum opus bears all the hallmarks of Jonathan Larson's rock-opera ode to 20th century bohemia: drugs, AIDS, too-young-to-die tragedies and the exasperation of existing (or subsisting) off society's radar. No doubt, Dedio's take on New York destitution aspires to be something of a modern-day Midnight Cowboy, while director Rafal Zielinski's raw handheld vision evokes the low-budget social portraits Paul Morrissey made after leaving Andy Warhol's Factory (notably, Mixed Blood and Forty Deuce).

Those movies reached out and gut-kicked audiences with their unvarnished depictions of how far respectable young people could go astray in the big city. Only, the New York that emblazoned itself in our minds in such films no longer really exists (check out Al Pacino's debut, Panic in Needle Park, due on DVD June 19). The theme-park Times Square through which Dedio stumbles bears no resemblance to the sordid, dangerous ground where Joe Buck and Travis Bickle dared to tread in Midnight Cowboy and Taxi Driver.

Whatever insights Dedio has into the homeless experience fizzle amid movie-of-the-week clichés, as Zielinski shapes the movie according to his own artistic notions of society's "gritty" underbelly. Downtown opens with Kick (Dedio) trading sexual favors for a quick 100 bucks, a transparent bid to establish the movie's cred. Though it's not explicit (the movie never is), the scene will send sensitive viewers scurrying right back to the ticket booth for a refund. Audiences who can stomach that spectacle, however, will be rolling their eyes before long.

As the movie's patron saint, Genevieve Bujold brings an understated weariness to the role of a sympathetic counselor, which we can only hope these younger actors -- each of them trying to run away with the movie in their histrionic scenes -- took to heart. Zielinski, whose Fun did Heavenly Creatures one better by bringing real-world terror to two girls' cold-blooded killing spree, may have a weakness for melodrama, but his approach gives actors ample room to shine.

A Puerto Rican-Italian mix, Dedio looks like a cross between Robert Downey Jr. and Joey Fatone but demonstrates real acting chops. And Domenica Cameron-Scorsese, in her first major role beyond cameos in her father's films, fares better than fellow Hollywood scion Sofia Coppola ever did in front of the camera. There's real talent at work here, but the script sabotages it by overcooking the very ingredients that would have made this "street tale" seem genuine.

[as featured in The Miami Herald]