Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Evoking the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from 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 rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets are filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and economic precarity. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about institutional observation and incarceration, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the lost people who have been failed by the system. The film stands as a moving exploration into survival, found community, and the quest for self within a demanding urban landscape.
