Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Channelling the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets are riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and financial instability. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the anxiety about institutional observation and imprisonment, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
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 poignant look into resilience, chosen family, and the pursuit of self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
