The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and drug dealing.
A Study of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape might be fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and financial instability. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the shadow economy seem minor next to the dread of institutional observation and imprisonment, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film stands as a heartfelt examination into resilience, chosen family, and the search for identity within a harsh urban landscape.
