The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Evoking the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Empathy Instead of Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The urban landscape can be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and financial instability. Threats from dubious individuals in the shadow economy seem minor next to the anxiety about state surveillance and imprisonment, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film ultimately serves as a moving look into resilience, chosen family, and the quest for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
