The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Evoking the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama zooms in 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 seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets are fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the underworld seem minor next to the anxiety about government monitoring and imprisonment, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the system. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt examination into resilience, found community, and the pursuit of self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
