Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Capturing the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The city are fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the dread of government monitoring and imprisonment, represented by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film functions as a poignant examination into resilience, found community, and the pursuit of purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.
