The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Channelling the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and touching naivety. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets can be fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and monetary insecurity. Threats from shady figures in the underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about institutional observation and incarceration, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the social system. The film stands as a poignant exploration into making ends meet, found community, and the pursuit of self within a harsh urban landscape.
