Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Channelling the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of 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 finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The city can be filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and financial instability. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the fear of state surveillance and incarceration, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the social system. The film functions as a poignant exploration into survival, found community, and the search for self within a harsh urban landscape.