The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets are fraught with peril, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the fear of institutional observation and incarceration, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a poignant exploration into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the search for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.