The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Evoking the city's relentless energy 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 (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for momentary bliss.
"The city might be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from shady figures in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the anxiety about state surveillance and imprisonment, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film functions as a heartfelt exploration into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the search for purpose within a demanding urban landscape.