Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Capturing the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama focuses on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets can be riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and financial instability. Threats from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about institutional observation and incarceration, represented by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film stands as a heartfelt examination into survival, chosen family, and the search for identity within a demanding urban landscape.