The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Capturing the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace 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 over double his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The city are fraught with peril, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and financial instability. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the underworld are overshadowed by the fear of government monitoring and jail time, represented by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the social system. The film stands as a moving look into survival, chosen family, and the search for purpose within a harsh urban landscape.