The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Channelling the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias 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 feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with crowded backstreets and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape might be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and financial instability. Threats from dubious individuals in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the anxiety about state surveillance and imprisonment, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film stands as a heartfelt exploration into survival, chosen family, and the pursuit of self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
