The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Channelling the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence 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, teeming with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The urban landscape might be fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and financial instability. Threats from dubious individuals in the shadow economy seem minor next to the anxiety about institutional observation and incarceration, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film functions as a heartfelt examination into survival, non-biological kinship, and the quest for identity within a harsh urban landscape.
