The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Channelling the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping 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) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets can be fraught with peril, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and economic precarity. Threats from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about government monitoring and incarceration, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the system. The film functions as a poignant examination into survival, non-biological kinship, and the quest for purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.
