Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Capturing the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama focuses on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The city can be filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and financial instability. Threats from dubious individuals in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about government monitoring and imprisonment, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the social system. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt examination into resilience, chosen family, and the pursuit of self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
