Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Capturing the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and drug dealing.
A Study of Empathy Instead of Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The city might be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated 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 jealousy and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the dread of state surveillance and jail time, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film functions as a heartfelt examination into resilience, chosen family, and the search for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
