The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Channelling the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the innocent 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 hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets might be filled with danger, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated 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 monetary insecurity. Threats from nefarious characters in the underworld are overshadowed by the dread of institutional observation and incarceration, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a poignant look into survival, found community, and the search for self within a harsh urban landscape.
