The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Evoking the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his customers, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets are riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and economic precarity. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the underworld are overshadowed by the fear of state surveillance and jail time, represented by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film stands as a moving exploration into making ends meet, found community, and the quest for self within a harsh urban landscape.