The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Channelling the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The city are riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the underworld pale in comparison to the dread of state surveillance and incarceration, represented by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film functions as a moving look into making ends meet, chosen family, and the pursuit of purpose within a harsh urban landscape.