Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Capturing the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and drug dealing.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people grasp at one another for momentary bliss.
"The city are fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about state surveillance and imprisonment, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film functions as a moving exploration into survival, chosen family, and the quest for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.