The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing 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 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 (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals cling on 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 Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the underworld seem minor next to the fear of government monitoring and incarceration, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the system. The film ultimately serves as a moving examination into resilience, chosen family, and the pursuit of identity within a demanding urban landscape.
