Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Evoking the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and selling drugs.
A Study of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape can be filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Threats from dubious individuals in the underworld seem minor next to the dread of state surveillance and jail time, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt examination into survival, non-biological kinship, and the quest for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
