The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Capturing the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and selling drugs.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The city can be fraught with peril, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and financial instability. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the fear of state surveillance and jail time, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a poignant look into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the search for identity within a demanding urban landscape.
