The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Evoking the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama focuses on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape might be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the underworld are overshadowed by the fear of government monitoring and jail time, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film stands as a heartfelt examination into making ends meet, chosen family, and the search for purpose within a harsh urban landscape.
