Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Evoking the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind 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 meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and selling drugs.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The city can be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and financial instability. Threats from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the fear of state surveillance and imprisonment, represented by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt exploration into survival, chosen family, and the pursuit of identity within a harsh urban landscape.
