Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Evoking the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama focuses on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
The director portrays 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 approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The city are filled with danger, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and economic precarity. Intimidation from shady figures in the underworld seem minor next to the dread of state surveillance and jail time, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the system. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt exploration into resilience, found community, and the quest for self within a harsh urban landscape.
