The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from 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 seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and selling drugs.
A Study of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy 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 offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets are riddled with risk, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and economic precarity. Intimidation from shady figures in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the fear of institutional observation and incarceration, represented by the constant sight of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film ultimately serves as a moving exploration into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the search for self within a harsh urban landscape.