The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Evoking the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape are fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about institutional observation and jail time, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the system. The film ultimately serves as a moving exploration into survival, found community, and the pursuit of self within a unforgiving urban landscape.