Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Channelling the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence 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 busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for fleeting joy.
"The city are riddled with risk, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and financial instability. Threats from shady figures in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the fear of government monitoring and incarceration, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film functions as a heartfelt look into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the quest for identity within a harsh urban landscape.
