Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Capturing the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and drug dealing.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape can be fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and financial instability. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the underworld pale in comparison to the dread of government monitoring and imprisonment, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the established structure. The film functions as a poignant examination into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
