The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order

Evoking the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.

On an night on the town with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and narcotics trafficking.

A Study of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism

The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.

In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people cling on to one another for momentary bliss.

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

A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control

Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and monetary insecurity. Threats from shady figures in the underworld pale in comparison to the dread of institutional observation and incarceration, represented by the looming presence of police officers in the area.

Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film functions as a poignant examination into resilience, found community, and the quest for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.