Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Evoking the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and selling drugs.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The city are filled with danger, yet they are the place 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 envy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the fear of institutional observation and jail time, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film stands as a poignant look into survival, chosen family, and the pursuit of self within a harsh urban landscape.
