Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Capturing the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, 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 selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape might be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and economic precarity. Intimidation from shady figures in the underworld seem minor next to the fear of government monitoring and imprisonment, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film functions as a heartfelt exploration into resilience, chosen family, and the quest for identity within a demanding urban landscape.
