The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Evoking the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama focuses on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The city are fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the underworld seem minor next to the dread of government monitoring and incarceration, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film functions as a poignant examination into resilience, found community, and the search for self within a demanding urban landscape.
