The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Capturing the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama centres 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; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and selling drugs.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The urban landscape might be fraught with peril, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and financial instability. Intimidation from shady figures in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about government monitoring and imprisonment, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film stands as a poignant look into resilience, found community, and the pursuit of identity within a harsh urban landscape.
