Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Evoking the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people grasp at one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets are filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the underworld pale in comparison to the fear of institutional observation and imprisonment, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the system. The film functions as a poignant look into making ends meet, chosen family, and the search for purpose within a harsh urban landscape.
