The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Channelling the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and drug dealing.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington provides not just 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 persistent isolation, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The urban landscape can be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and monetary insecurity. Threats from shady figures in the underworld pale in comparison to the fear of government monitoring and incarceration, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film stands as a heartfelt examination into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of purpose within a demanding urban landscape.
