Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Channelling the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado 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, filled with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets are fraught with peril, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the fear of institutional observation and jail time, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the social system. The film functions as a heartfelt examination into resilience, found community, and the pursuit of purpose within a harsh urban landscape.
