The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the urban restlessness and pulsating life 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 (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 evening out with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The city might be fraught with peril, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and financial instability. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the fear of state surveillance and jail time, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the lost people who have been failed by the established structure. The film stands as a moving exploration into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the quest for purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.
