The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Capturing the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for momentary bliss.
"The city can be fraught with peril, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and economic precarity. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the fear of state surveillance and imprisonment, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a moving look into survival, chosen family, and the pursuit of purpose within a demanding urban landscape.
