The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Evoking the metropolitan unease 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 (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets can be filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and economic precarity. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the fear of government monitoring and jail time, 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 slipped through the gaps the system. The film stands as a heartfelt examination into resilience, found community, and the search for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
