Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Evoking the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released 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 evening out with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The city might be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the dread of state surveillance and incarceration, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the social system. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt examination into making ends meet, found community, and the search for self within a harsh urban landscape.
