The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Channelling the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape are filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the fear of government monitoring and imprisonment, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers in the area.
Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the established structure. The film stands as a heartfelt exploration into resilience, found community, and the pursuit of identity within a harsh urban landscape.
