The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order

Capturing the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.

On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and selling drugs.

A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism

The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.

In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for momentary bliss.

"The city might be filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."

A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power

Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about government monitoring and incarceration, represented by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.

Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film stands as a poignant look into resilience, found community, and the search for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.