The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Channelling the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and drug dealing.
A Study of Empathy Instead of Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets are filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and financial instability. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the fear of institutional observation and imprisonment, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt examination into survival, found community, and the quest for self within a demanding urban landscape.
