Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Evoking the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
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 cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. 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 brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The urban landscape can be filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the shadow economy seem minor next to the anxiety about government monitoring and jail time, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film stands as a heartfelt look into making ends meet, found community, and the pursuit of purpose within a harsh urban landscape.
