Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Capturing the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence 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, teeming with crowded backstreets and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals hold fast to 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 Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and economic precarity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about state surveillance and imprisonment, represented by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film functions as a moving examination into survival, chosen family, and the search for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
