The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Evoking the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and selling drugs.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only 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 deep-seated solitude, as rootless people hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape can be filled with danger, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and economic precarity. Threats from nefarious characters in the underworld seem minor next to the fear of state surveillance and imprisonment, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film functions as a heartfelt look into making ends meet, chosen family, and the quest for purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.
