Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Channelling the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for fleeting joy.
"The city might be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from shady figures in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the dread of institutional observation and imprisonment, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the system. The film functions as a moving look into resilience, found community, and the quest for self within a demanding urban landscape.
