Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Channelling the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned 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 crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The city are filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the dread of institutional observation and incarceration, represented by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film functions as a poignant look into making ends meet, chosen family, and the search for self within a demanding urban landscape.
