Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Capturing the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; 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 hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The city are fraught with peril, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the underworld seem minor next to the dread of government monitoring and incarceration, represented by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film ultimately serves as a poignant look into survival, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of self within a harsh urban landscape.
