The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Evoking the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the innocent young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets are fraught with peril, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and financial instability. Threats from dubious individuals in the underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about institutional observation and incarceration, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film stands as a heartfelt examination into survival, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of identity within a demanding urban landscape.
