The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Channelling the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people grasp at one another for momentary bliss.
"The city can be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and financial instability. Threats from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the dread of government monitoring and incarceration, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film ultimately serves as a poignant examination into making ends meet, chosen family, and the pursuit of purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.
