Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Channelling the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving 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 innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of 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 moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The urban landscape might be fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about government monitoring and incarceration, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film ultimately serves as a poignant examination into making ends meet, chosen family, and the search for identity within a demanding urban landscape.
