Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Channelling the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama focuses on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape might be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and economic precarity. Intimidation from shady figures in the underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about state surveillance and imprisonment, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film stands as a poignant examination into making ends meet, chosen family, and the pursuit of identity within a demanding urban landscape.
