The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Channelling the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama focuses on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker 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 instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets can be fraught with peril, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and economic precarity. Threats from shady figures in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the anxiety about government monitoring and imprisonment, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful 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 making ends meet, chosen family, and the pursuit of identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
