Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Capturing the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence 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 busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets can be filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and monetary insecurity. Threats from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the anxiety about state surveillance and incarceration, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film functions as a heartfelt examination into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the quest for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
