The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Capturing the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing 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 impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with crowded backstreets and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape are riddled with risk, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Threats from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about government monitoring and incarceration, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film stands as a heartfelt look into resilience, chosen family, and the pursuit of purpose within a harsh urban landscape.
