The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Channelling the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, 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 also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Threats from dubious individuals in the shadow economy seem minor next to the dread of government monitoring and jail time, represented by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film functions as a poignant look into resilience, chosen family, and the pursuit of identity within a harsh urban landscape.
