The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Evoking the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting 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 lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape might be filled with danger, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and economic precarity. Threats from dubious individuals in the underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about state surveillance and jail time, represented by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film stands as a heartfelt look into making ends meet, found community, and the quest for identity within a harsh urban landscape.
