Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Capturing the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets might be filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the dread of government monitoring and incarceration, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film stands as a poignant examination into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the quest for identity within a demanding urban landscape.
