Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Evoking the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Empathy Instead of 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 cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people grasp at one another for momentary bliss.
"The city are fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and economic precarity. Threats from shady figures in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the anxiety about state surveillance and incarceration, represented by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film functions as a heartfelt exploration into survival, chosen family, and the pursuit of purpose within a demanding urban landscape.