The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and drug dealing.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. 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, overflowing with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The city are filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Threats from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about state surveillance and jail time, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film functions as a moving exploration into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of identity within a harsh urban landscape.
