The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Capturing the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of 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 seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out 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 wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets are riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and financial instability. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the underworld seem minor next to the anxiety about government monitoring and jail time, represented by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film functions as a moving look into resilience, found community, and the search for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
