The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Channelling the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape might be filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the dread of institutional observation and incarceration, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film ultimately serves as a poignant examination into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of identity within a harsh urban landscape.
