Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Evoking the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and selling drugs.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for momentary bliss.
"The city can be fraught with peril, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and economic precarity. Threats from dubious individuals in the underworld pale in comparison to the fear of institutional observation and imprisonment, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film stands as a moving examination into making ends meet, found community, and the search for purpose within a harsh urban landscape.
