The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Channelling the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets might be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about institutional observation and jail time, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film stands as a poignant exploration into survival, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.
