The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Evoking the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
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 cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape might be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and economic precarity. Threats from nefarious characters in the underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about state surveillance and imprisonment, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film stands as a heartfelt exploration into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the search for identity within a demanding urban landscape.
