The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order

Capturing the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.

On an night on the town with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and narcotics trafficking.

A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation

Caetano depicts 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 brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.

In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.

"The city can be filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."

A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power

Ronaldo is both a lover and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the dread of state surveillance and incarceration, represented by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.

Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film ultimately serves as a poignant look into making ends meet, found community, and the search for identity within a demanding urban landscape.