The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Capturing the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; left behind by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his customers, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets can be filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and economic precarity. Intimidation from shady figures in the underworld seem minor next to the fear of institutional observation and imprisonment, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the lost people who have been failed by the system. The film functions as a moving look into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the quest for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
