Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Capturing the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The city might be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and economic precarity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the fear of institutional observation and jail time, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the social system. The film stands as a poignant examination into making ends meet, found community, and the search for identity within a harsh urban landscape.
