Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Evoking the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned 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 queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The city might be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and economic precarity. Threats from dubious individuals in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the fear of government monitoring and incarceration, represented by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film functions as a moving examination into survival, chosen family, and the quest for purpose within a demanding urban landscape.
