The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Channelling the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. 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 crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets can be riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from shady figures in the shadow economy seem minor next to the anxiety about institutional observation and incarceration, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt examination into resilience, chosen family, and the pursuit of self within a demanding urban landscape.
