Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Evoking the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his customers, Wellington lends not only 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 deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape can be filled with danger, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Relationship 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 monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the anxiety about government monitoring and imprisonment, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film ultimately serves as a poignant exploration into making ends meet, found community, and the quest for self within a harsh urban landscape.
