Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Capturing the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from 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 boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with crowded backstreets and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The urban landscape are riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the fear of state surveillance and jail time, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film stands as a poignant examination into resilience, found community, and the pursuit of self within a harsh urban landscape.
