Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington lends not only 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 deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets might be fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Threats from shady figures in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about state surveillance and imprisonment, represented by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the social system. The film functions as a moving look into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of self within a demanding urban landscape.
