Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Capturing the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and selling drugs.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. 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 busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape are fraught with peril, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and financial instability. Threats from nefarious characters in the underworld pale in comparison to the dread of institutional observation and imprisonment, represented by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film functions as a poignant exploration into resilience, chosen family, and the search for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
