The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Evoking the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama centres on those who live on the fringes 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 innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for fleeting joy.
"The city can be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and financial instability. Dangers posed by shady figures in the underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about state surveillance and imprisonment, represented by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the established structure. The film functions as a poignant look into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the search for purpose within a demanding urban landscape.