Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Channelling the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets can be filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and economic precarity. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the fear of institutional observation and jail time, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film functions as a poignant look into survival, found community, and the pursuit of self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
