The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Channelling the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape might be fraught with peril, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and financial instability. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about state surveillance and imprisonment, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film ultimately serves as a poignant examination into survival, found community, and the quest for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
