The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Capturing the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The city can be filled with danger, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and economic precarity. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the underworld are overshadowed by the dread of government monitoring and jail time, represented by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the lost people who have been failed by the social system. The film functions as a heartfelt exploration into survival, found community, and the pursuit of identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
