The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Channelling the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Empathy Instead of Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets might be fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and financial instability. Threats from nefarious characters in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the dread of government monitoring and jail time, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film functions as a moving examination into survival, non-biological kinship, and the search for self within a demanding urban landscape.
