Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Channelling the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the impressionable 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 (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets can be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the anxiety about government monitoring and jail time, represented by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt examination into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the quest for identity within a harsh urban landscape.
