The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned 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 encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape can be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Threats from dubious individuals in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about state surveillance and incarceration, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film ultimately serves as a poignant exploration into survival, chosen family, and the quest for identity within a harsh urban landscape.
