Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Channelling the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape can be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about institutional observation and jail time, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a moving examination into survival, chosen family, and the quest for identity within a harsh urban landscape.
