Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Capturing the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; left behind by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace 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 hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and drug dealing.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape might be riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and financial instability. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the dread of government monitoring and jail time, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the lost people who have been failed by the social system. The film functions as a poignant examination into resilience, found community, and the pursuit of identity within a harsh urban landscape.
