Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Capturing the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets might be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and financial instability. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the dread of state surveillance and incarceration, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film functions as a poignant look into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the search for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
