Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Capturing the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. 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 gnawing loneliness, as rootless people cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets are riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Threats from shady figures in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the fear of institutional observation and jail time, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the lost people who have been failed by the social system. The film ultimately serves as a moving exploration into survival, found community, and the search for self within a harsh urban landscape.
