The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Evoking the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted 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 strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his customers, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape are riddled with risk, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Threats from shady figures in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about state surveillance and incarceration, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film functions as a poignant examination into resilience, chosen family, and the pursuit of identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
