Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Capturing the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and selling drugs.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The city can be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and economic precarity. Intimidation from shady figures in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about institutional observation and jail time, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film stands as a poignant look into resilience, chosen family, and the pursuit of identity within a harsh urban landscape.
