The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Evoking the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama focuses on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of 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 night on the town with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and selling drugs.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape are riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and financial instability. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the anxiety about institutional observation and imprisonment, represented by the constant sight of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the lost people who have been failed by the system. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt examination into survival, found community, and the search for identity within a demanding urban landscape.
