Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The city might be riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the fear of state surveillance and jail time, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film stands as a heartfelt look into making ends meet, chosen family, and the quest for identity within a harsh urban landscape.
