The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Capturing the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama centres 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) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets are filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the fear of government monitoring and incarceration, represented by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film functions as a poignant look into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
