Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets can be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, 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 envy and financial instability. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the anxiety about institutional observation and jail time, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film ultimately serves as a poignant look into making ends meet, chosen family, and the search for self within a harsh urban landscape.
