Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Evoking the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama focuses on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; left behind by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape are fraught with peril, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the underworld pale in comparison to the dread of state surveillance and incarceration, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film functions as a poignant look into resilience, found community, and the search for identity within a harsh urban landscape.
