Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Capturing the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; left behind by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and touching naivety. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets can be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and financial instability. Threats from shady figures in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the dread of state surveillance and incarceration, represented by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film functions as a heartfelt exploration into making ends meet, found community, and the quest for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
