The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Evoking the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and selling drugs.
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 engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets might be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and financial instability. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the dread of government monitoring and imprisonment, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a poignant exploration into making ends meet, chosen family, and the pursuit of self within a demanding urban landscape.
