Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Evoking the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for fleeting joy.
"The city are fraught with peril, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and financial instability. Threats from dubious individuals in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the fear of institutional observation and imprisonment, represented by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film stands as a moving look into survival, chosen family, and the pursuit of purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.
