The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Evoking the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama focuses on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets might be fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and financial instability. Threats from dubious individuals in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about government monitoring and imprisonment, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film stands as a poignant examination into resilience, chosen family, and the pursuit of self within a harsh urban landscape.
