Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Channelling the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape can be fraught with peril, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and economic precarity. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the underworld seem minor next to the fear of institutional observation and imprisonment, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the system. The film functions as a poignant examination into survival, found community, and the search for purpose within a harsh urban landscape.
