Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Channelling the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of 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 finds solace in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets might be filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Threats from nefarious characters in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the anxiety about institutional observation and incarceration, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film functions as a poignant look into survival, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of identity within a demanding urban landscape.
