Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the innocent young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and drug dealing.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets can be filled with danger, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the fear of state surveillance and imprisonment, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt exploration into survival, non-biological kinship, and the search for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
