The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Channelling the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets might be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the anxiety about government monitoring and imprisonment, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film functions as a moving look into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the search for identity within a harsh urban landscape.
