Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Capturing the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted 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 meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias 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 moments of care.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets are riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and economic precarity. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about institutional observation and jail time, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film functions as a poignant exploration into survival, found community, and the search for purpose within a harsh urban landscape.
