Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Channelling the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape might be filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and economic precarity. Intimidation from shady figures in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about state surveillance and incarceration, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the system. The film functions as a heartfelt look into making ends meet, chosen family, and the pursuit of purpose within a harsh urban landscape.
