The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Evoking the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and selling drugs.
A Study of Empathy Instead of Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape are fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and economic precarity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the shadow economy seem minor next to the anxiety about state surveillance and imprisonment, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the lost people who have been failed by the established structure. The film stands as a heartfelt examination into survival, chosen family, and the search for purpose within a harsh urban landscape.
