Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Channelling the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The urban landscape might be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space 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 envy and financial instability. Dangers posed by shady figures in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the dread of state surveillance and incarceration, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film functions as a poignant examination into making ends meet, found community, and the search for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
