The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Capturing the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing 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 finds solace in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape are riddled with risk, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about government monitoring and jail time, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film ultimately serves as a moving exploration into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the search for purpose within a demanding urban landscape.
