The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Capturing the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene 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 melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets can be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the underworld are overshadowed by the fear of state surveillance and jail time, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film stands as a heartfelt look into survival, found community, and the pursuit of purpose within a harsh urban landscape.
