The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Evoking the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing 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 night on the town with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The urban landscape are fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and financial instability. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the shadow economy seem minor next to the dread of institutional observation and imprisonment, represented by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film stands as a heartfelt exploration into survival, non-biological kinship, and the search for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
