🔗 Share this article The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order Capturing the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others. On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and drug dealing. A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness. In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for temporary happiness. "The streets might be fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too." A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the underworld pale in comparison to the fear of government monitoring and jail time, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area. Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film functions as a poignant examination into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of purpose within a demanding urban landscape.