Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets might be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from shady figures in the underworld pale in comparison to the fear of institutional observation and jail time, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt look into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the quest for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
