Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Evoking the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape can be fraught with peril, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and financial instability. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the underworld seem minor next to the fear of government monitoring and jail time, represented by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the social system. The film ultimately serves as a poignant look into making ends meet, chosen family, and the quest for purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.
