The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Channelling the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape can be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and financial instability. Threats from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the anxiety about institutional observation and imprisonment, represented by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a moving look into making ends meet, chosen family, and the pursuit of self within a demanding urban landscape.
