The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Channelling the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted 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 LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The city are filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Threats from dubious individuals in the shadow economy seem minor next to the fear of institutional observation and imprisonment, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film stands as a heartfelt exploration into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the quest for self within a harsh urban landscape.