Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Capturing the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of sex work 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 approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets might be filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and financial instability. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the underworld seem minor next to the anxiety about government monitoring and jail time, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film functions as a poignant look into making ends meet, found community, and the quest for self within a demanding urban landscape.
