Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Capturing the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting 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 finds solace in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a exploitative warning story. 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 fleeting acts of kindness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The city are fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and financial instability. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the anxiety about institutional observation and imprisonment, represented by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a moving examination into making ends meet, chosen family, and the pursuit of purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.
