The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Evoking the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape are riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the dread of government monitoring and imprisonment, represented by the constant sight of police officers in the area.
Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film functions as a moving look into resilience, found community, and the pursuit of purpose within a demanding urban landscape.
