Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Capturing the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape can be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the underworld seem minor next to the dread of government monitoring and imprisonment, represented by the constant sight of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the lost people who have been failed by the system. The film functions as a heartfelt exploration into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the quest for self within a harsh urban landscape.
