Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing 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 discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and selling drugs.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape can be riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Threats from shady figures in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the dread of institutional observation and imprisonment, represented by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film ultimately serves as a moving exploration into making ends meet, chosen family, and the quest for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
