The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Capturing the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama centres on those who live on the fringes 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 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 crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with crowded backstreets and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The city can be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the underworld pale in comparison to the dread of institutional observation and imprisonment, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
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 moving look into making ends meet, chosen family, and the search for self within a demanding urban landscape.
