Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Evoking the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker 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) faces a critical turning point; left behind 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 queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets might 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 sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and financial instability. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the fear of institutional observation and imprisonment, represented by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film stands as a poignant examination into making ends meet, chosen family, and the pursuit of self within a demanding urban landscape.
