Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Evoking the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace 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 over double his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The city might be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and economic precarity. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about government monitoring and jail time, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film functions as a heartfelt look into resilience, chosen family, and the quest for self within a demanding urban landscape.
