Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Evoking the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (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 late-night excursion with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The city can be riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and financial instability. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the underworld are overshadowed by the dread of state surveillance and imprisonment, represented by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film functions as a poignant look into survival, found community, and the pursuit of purpose within a demanding urban landscape.
