The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Capturing the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than 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 swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets might be filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about government monitoring and jail time, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film functions as a heartfelt look into survival, found community, and the pursuit of identity within a harsh urban landscape.
