Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Evoking the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed 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 evening out with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The city can be fraught with peril, yet they are where they can find their own family, 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 monetary insecurity. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the dread of government monitoring and incarceration, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film stands as a heartfelt exploration into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
