The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Evoking the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace 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 (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets can be filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Threats from shady figures in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the anxiety about government monitoring and jail time, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film functions as a heartfelt look into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the search for identity within a demanding urban landscape.
