The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The city can be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the shadow economy seem minor next to the fear of state surveillance and imprisonment, represented by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film functions as a moving examination into making ends meet, chosen family, and the search for self within a harsh urban landscape.