The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Evoking the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and drug dealing.
A Study of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The city are riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and monetary insecurity. Threats from shady figures in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the fear of institutional observation and jail time, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film stands as a moving look into survival, found community, and the search for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.