Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Channelling the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort 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. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The city are fraught with peril, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about government monitoring and jail time, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the lost people who have been failed by the system. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt look into survival, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of identity within a harsh urban landscape.
