Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Capturing the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait 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 using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape might be riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and financial instability. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the fear of government monitoring and incarceration, represented by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the system. The film ultimately serves as a poignant examination into making ends meet, chosen family, and the pursuit of identity within a demanding urban landscape.
