Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Capturing the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and selling drugs.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets are filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and economic precarity. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the dread of government monitoring and incarceration, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film stands as a heartfelt look into survival, found community, and the pursuit of identity within a demanding urban landscape.
