Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets might be riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex 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 jealousy and economic precarity. Threats from dubious individuals in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the dread of state surveillance and jail time, represented by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film ultimately serves as a moving look into survival, non-biological kinship, and the search for identity within a demanding urban landscape.
