The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Evoking the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets can be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and financial instability. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the dread of government monitoring and incarceration, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film functions as a heartfelt exploration into resilience, found community, and the pursuit of self within a harsh urban landscape.
