Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Evoking the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama zooms in 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) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape can be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and financial instability. Threats from dubious individuals in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the fear of government monitoring and incarceration, represented by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film stands as a heartfelt examination into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the quest for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
