The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Capturing the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington offers more than 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 persistent isolation, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape are fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and economic precarity. Threats from nefarious characters in the underworld seem minor next to the anxiety about state surveillance and jail time, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film functions as a moving exploration into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the search for self within a harsh urban landscape.
