Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Channelling the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort 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 more than twice his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape can be fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and financial instability. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the dread of state surveillance and incarceration, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers in the area.
Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt exploration into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
