The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Channelling the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets might be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from shady figures in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about government monitoring and incarceration, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film ultimately serves as a moving look into making ends meet, found community, and the quest for purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.
