Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Channelling the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people grasp at one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets are fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and financial instability. Threats from nefarious characters in the underworld pale in comparison to the dread of state surveillance and jail time, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the social system. The film stands as a poignant look into making ends meet, found community, and the search for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
