Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Channelling the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets are riddled with risk, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and financial instability. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the dread of government monitoring and imprisonment, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the lost people who have been failed by the system. The film stands as a moving exploration into survival, non-biological kinship, and the quest for identity within a demanding urban landscape.
