The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Evoking the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets are fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Threats from shady figures in the underworld seem minor next to the dread of institutional observation and imprisonment, represented by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film functions as a moving exploration into survival, found community, and the pursuit of self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
