The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Evoking the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The city are fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and financial instability. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the fear of state surveillance and imprisonment, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film stands as a heartfelt examination into resilience, chosen family, and the quest for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
