Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and selling drugs.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape can be filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and financial instability. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the shadow economy seem minor next to the dread of government monitoring and jail time, represented by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the social system. The film stands as a heartfelt examination into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the quest for purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.
