The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Capturing the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets are fraught with peril, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Relationship 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. Threats from dubious individuals in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the dread of institutional observation and incarceration, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film functions as a heartfelt look into survival, non-biological kinship, and the quest for purpose within a demanding urban landscape.