Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Channelling the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape might be filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and financial instability. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the fear of institutional observation and jail time, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the lost people who have been failed by the system. The film functions as a moving examination into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of self within a demanding urban landscape.
