The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Evoking the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and selling drugs.
A Study of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The city might be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and financial instability. Threats from dubious individuals in the underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about government monitoring and jail time, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a poignant look into survival, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
