The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Channelling the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama zooms in 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) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the innocent young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The city can be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the dread of institutional observation and incarceration, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a poignant exploration into survival, chosen family, and the pursuit of purpose within a harsh urban landscape.
