Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Evoking the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama zooms in 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; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets might be fraught with peril, yet they are 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 possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the anxiety about government monitoring and incarceration, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a moving look into survival, chosen family, and the search for self within a harsh urban landscape.
