The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Evoking the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets might be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and financial instability. Threats from dubious individuals in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the dread of government monitoring and incarceration, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the lost people who have been failed by the established structure. The film functions as a moving exploration into making ends meet, found community, and the quest for self within a harsh urban landscape.
