Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Channelling the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his clients, 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 brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for momentary bliss.
"The city can be filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and financial instability. Threats from shady figures in the shadow economy seem minor next to the anxiety about institutional observation and jail time, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film stands as a moving look into survival, chosen family, and the quest for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
