Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo 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; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for fleeting joy.
"The city can be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and financial instability. Threats from dubious individuals in the shadow economy seem minor next to the anxiety about institutional observation and jail time, 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 social system. The film stands as a poignant exploration into making ends meet, chosen family, and the search for purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.