The Film Baby Film Analysis: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Evoking the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape might be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about state surveillance and jail time, symbolized by the hovering figures 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 system. The film ultimately serves as a moving look into resilience, chosen family, and the search for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
