The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Channelling the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama focuses on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and selling drugs.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape are riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Threats from dubious individuals in the underworld pale in comparison to the fear of institutional observation and imprisonment, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film functions as a heartfelt look into survival, found community, and the quest for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
