Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Evoking the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing 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 evening out with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets can be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and financial instability. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the shadow economy seem minor next to the anxiety about state surveillance and incarceration, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film stands as a heartfelt examination into survival, found community, and the quest for purpose within a demanding urban landscape.
