Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The urban landscape can be riddled with risk, yet they are 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 connection is thrown off course by jealousy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the underworld are overshadowed by the fear of institutional observation and imprisonment, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film stands as a poignant exploration into survival, chosen family, and the pursuit of purpose within a demanding urban landscape.
