The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Capturing the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Empathy Instead of Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape might be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and financial instability. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the shadow economy seem minor next to the fear of government monitoring and imprisonment, represented by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt examination into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of self within a demanding urban landscape.
