Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Channelling the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and selling drugs.
A Study of Empathy Instead of Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons 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 feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The city might be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and financial instability. Threats from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about government monitoring and incarceration, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film functions as a heartfelt look into resilience, found community, and the pursuit of self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
