Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Channelling the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets might be filled with danger, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and financial instability. Threats from shady figures in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the fear of government monitoring and jail time, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a poignant examination into resilience, chosen family, and the pursuit of self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
