Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Capturing the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people grasp at one another for momentary bliss.
"The urban landscape can be fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the underworld seem minor next to the anxiety about government monitoring and incarceration, represented by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a moving examination into making ends meet, found community, and the pursuit of self within a unforgiving urban landscape.