Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Evoking the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The urban landscape might be filled with danger, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and financial instability. Threats from shady figures in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the fear of government monitoring and jail time, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the lost people who have been failed by the established structure. The film stands as a poignant examination into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the search for self within a demanding urban landscape.
