The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Capturing the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama zooms in 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 discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. 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 brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The urban landscape can be filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the underworld are overshadowed by the dread of state surveillance and imprisonment, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film stands as a poignant examination into resilience, found community, and the pursuit of purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.
