The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Evoking the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people grasp at one another for fleeting joy.
"The city might be fraught with peril, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and financial instability. Threats from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the anxiety about state surveillance and incarceration, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film stands as a moving look into resilience, chosen family, and the quest for identity within a demanding urban landscape.
