The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Capturing the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape are fraught with peril, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and financial instability. Dangers posed by shady figures in the underworld seem minor next to the fear of institutional observation and jail time, represented by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film ultimately serves as a poignant exploration into survival, found community, and the pursuit of purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.
