Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and drug dealing.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The urban landscape might be riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and economic precarity. Threats from shady figures in the underworld are overshadowed by the dread of state surveillance and jail time, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film stands as a poignant look into making ends meet, chosen family, and the quest for purpose within a demanding urban landscape.
