Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Evoking the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The city might be riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and financial instability. Threats from nefarious characters in the underworld are overshadowed by the fear of state surveillance and incarceration, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film functions as a moving examination into making ends meet, found community, and the quest for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
