The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Capturing the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The city might be filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Threats from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the fear of institutional observation and jail time, represented by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the social system. The film functions as a moving look into making ends meet, found community, and the quest for purpose within a demanding urban landscape.