Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Channelling the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and touching naivety. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets are riddled with risk, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and financial instability. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the fear of state surveillance and jail time, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film stands as a moving examination into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the quest for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
