The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Channelling the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets are riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and financial instability. Threats from nefarious characters in the underworld seem minor next to the dread of government monitoring and incarceration, represented by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the social system. The film functions as a moving examination into survival, chosen family, and the search for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
