The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Capturing the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and selling drugs.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets might be fraught with peril, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Threats from dubious individuals in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the dread of state surveillance and imprisonment, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film functions as a moving exploration into survival, non-biological kinship, and the search for purpose within a demanding urban landscape.
