The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Evoking the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the innocent young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The city can be riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and economic precarity. Threats from nefarious characters in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the dread of state surveillance and jail time, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film stands as a poignant look into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.