The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Channelling the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from 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 meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his clients, 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 vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape might be filled with danger, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Threats from shady figures in the underworld seem minor next to the dread of state surveillance and incarceration, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the system. The film functions as a moving examination into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of self within a demanding urban landscape.
