The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Channelling the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama centres 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) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and selling drugs.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape can be riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and economic precarity. Threats from dubious individuals in the underworld pale in comparison to the fear of government monitoring and imprisonment, represented by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt look into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of self within a harsh urban landscape.
