The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets are filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and economic precarity. Threats from dubious individuals in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the anxiety about state surveillance and jail time, represented by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a moving look into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the quest for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
