Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Channelling the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts 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 innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, 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 Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets might be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and economic precarity. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the underworld seem minor next to the anxiety about government monitoring and incarceration, represented by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film functions as a moving exploration into making ends meet, found community, and the search for purpose within a demanding urban landscape.
