Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Channelling the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting 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 encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. 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 busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The city are riddled with risk, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, 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 possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the dread of government monitoring and imprisonment, represented by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the lost people who have been failed by the established structure. The film functions as a heartfelt exploration into survival, chosen family, and the search for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.