The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Capturing the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing 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) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The city might be filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the anxiety about government monitoring and incarceration, represented by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film stands as a moving look into making ends meet, chosen family, and the pursuit of identity within a demanding urban landscape.