The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Channelling the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from 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 late-night excursion with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The film illustrates 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 brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets can be riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and financial instability. Threats from shady figures in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the anxiety about institutional observation and incarceration, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the lost people who have been failed by the system. The film stands as a moving exploration into survival, found community, and the search for identity within a harsh urban landscape.
