The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Evoking the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama focuses 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) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets might be filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the fear of government monitoring and jail time, represented by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the lost people who have been failed by the social system. The film ultimately serves as a poignant exploration into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
