The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Channelling the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets can be fraught with peril, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from shady figures in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the dread of government monitoring and jail time, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film ultimately serves as a poignant exploration into making ends meet, found community, and the search for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
