Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Evoking the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado 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, teeming with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets might be filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the underworld seem minor next to the anxiety about government monitoring and incarceration, represented by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film functions as a poignant exploration into making ends meet, chosen family, and the pursuit of self within a demanding urban landscape.
