Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Capturing the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion 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 physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and selling drugs.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for momentary bliss.
"The city are filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and economic precarity. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the underworld seem minor next to the anxiety about government monitoring and imprisonment, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film stands as a poignant look into making ends meet, chosen family, and the search for purpose within a harsh urban landscape.
