The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Channelling the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
The film illustrates 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 cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people grasp at one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets are riddled with risk, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and economic precarity. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the underworld are overshadowed by the dread of government monitoring and jail time, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film stands as a poignant exploration into making ends meet, chosen family, and the pursuit of self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
