Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Channelling the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for fleeting joy.
"The city are fraught with peril, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and financial instability. Threats from shady figures in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the fear of government monitoring and imprisonment, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a moving exploration into making ends meet, chosen family, and the search for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
