Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Evoking the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes 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 wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The urban landscape can be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from shady figures in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the dread of state surveillance and jail time, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film stands as a moving exploration into survival, chosen family, and the search for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
