Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Channelling the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; left behind by his parents, the innocent young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The city are riddled with risk, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and economic precarity. Threats from dubious individuals in the shadow economy seem minor next to the anxiety about institutional observation and incarceration, represented by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
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 poignant exploration into making ends meet, found community, and the pursuit of identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
