The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets can be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and economic precarity. Threats from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the anxiety about institutional observation and jail time, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film functions as a heartfelt exploration into making ends meet, chosen family, and the search for self within a harsh urban landscape.
