Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Evoking the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching 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 innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Study of Empathy Instead of Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people grasp at one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets might be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and financial instability. Threats from shady figures in the shadow economy seem minor next to the fear of state surveillance and incarceration, represented by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film ultimately serves as a poignant look into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of identity within a harsh urban landscape.
