Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Evoking the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets can be fraught with peril, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about state surveillance and incarceration, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt exploration into making ends meet, chosen family, and the pursuit of identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
