Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Evoking the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from 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 discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and touching naivety. To his customers, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets might be fraught with peril, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and financial instability. Intimidation from shady figures in the underworld seem minor next to the fear of institutional observation and incarceration, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film ultimately serves as a poignant examination into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
