The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. 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 deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape might be filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the underworld seem minor next to the anxiety about government monitoring and incarceration, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers in the area.
Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film ultimately serves as a moving exploration into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the search for self within a demanding urban landscape.
