Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Evoking the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming 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 promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets are fraught with peril, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and economic precarity. Intimidation from shady figures in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the anxiety about institutional observation and jail time, represented by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the lost people who have been failed by the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt examination into resilience, chosen family, and the search for identity within a demanding urban landscape.
