Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Evoking the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort 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 (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The city can be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the anxiety about state surveillance and jail time, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film stands as a moving examination into survival, found community, and the quest for purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.
