Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Channelling the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama focuses on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape might be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the underworld seem minor next to the fear of institutional observation and jail time, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a moving examination into survival, chosen family, and the search for purpose within a demanding urban landscape.
