The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Channelling the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters 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, teeming with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The city might be fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and economic precarity. Threats from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the dread of government monitoring and jail time, represented by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film functions as a poignant examination into making ends meet, chosen family, and the quest for purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.
