Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Channelling the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama focuses on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape are riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and financial instability. Threats from dubious individuals in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the dread of institutional observation and imprisonment, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the system. The film functions as a poignant exploration into resilience, found community, and the pursuit of self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
