Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Capturing the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and selling drugs.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape might be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and financial instability. Threats from shady figures in the underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about government monitoring and incarceration, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film functions as a poignant examination into survival, found community, and the quest for purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.
