Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Evoking the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving 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 finds solace 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 hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets can be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and economic precarity. Threats from dubious individuals in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about government monitoring and imprisonment, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the social system. The film stands as a heartfelt examination into resilience, found community, and the search for self within a harsh urban landscape.