The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Capturing the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. 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 busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape are filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the fear of government monitoring and incarceration, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt examination into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the quest for identity within a demanding urban landscape.
