Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Capturing the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets are riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the underworld pale in comparison to the fear of institutional observation 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 been failed by the system. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt look into making ends meet, found community, and the quest for purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.
