Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Capturing the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching 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) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Empathy Instead of Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets might be fraught with peril, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and economic precarity. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the dread of institutional observation and incarceration, represented by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film functions as a poignant exploration into resilience, chosen family, and the search for identity within a demanding urban landscape.
