Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Evoking the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed 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 hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for momentary bliss.
"The urban landscape might be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the anxiety about institutional observation and imprisonment, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film stands as a moving examination into survival, chosen family, and the pursuit of identity within a demanding urban landscape.
