Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Channelling the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The city are fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and financial instability. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the fear of institutional observation and jail time, represented by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt examination into resilience, found community, and the quest for identity within a harsh urban landscape.
