The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Capturing 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. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape might be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and financial instability. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the shadow economy seem minor next to the anxiety about state surveillance and imprisonment, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the social system. The film functions as a poignant look into making ends meet, found community, and the pursuit of purpose within a demanding urban landscape.
