The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Evoking the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape might be filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and economic precarity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the fear of institutional observation and imprisonment, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film stands as a heartfelt look into survival, chosen family, and the search for purpose within a demanding urban landscape.
