Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Channelling the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with crowded backstreets and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The urban landscape might be filled with danger, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and monetary insecurity. Threats from dubious individuals in the shadow economy seem minor next to the fear of state surveillance and jail time, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film functions as a moving examination into survival, found community, and the quest for identity within a harsh urban landscape.
