The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Capturing the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets can be riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and economic precarity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the underworld seem minor next to the dread of state surveillance and jail time, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers in the area.
Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film functions as a moving look into survival, non-biological kinship, and the search for self within a harsh urban landscape.
