Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Evoking the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets can be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and financial instability. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the dread of government monitoring and jail time, represented by the constant sight of police officers in the area.
Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film functions as a poignant look into survival, non-biological kinship, and the search for identity within a demanding urban landscape.
