The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Channelling the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his lively group of gay and non-binary 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 adult movie theater, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets can be filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Threats from dubious individuals in the underworld are overshadowed by the dread of government monitoring and jail time, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film functions as a poignant examination into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the search for identity within a harsh urban landscape.
