Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Evoking the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his customers, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for momentary bliss.
"The city can be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and financial instability. Threats from shady figures in the underworld are overshadowed by the dread of institutional observation and imprisonment, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the social system. The film stands as a moving exploration into resilience, found community, and the pursuit of identity within a harsh urban landscape.
