Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The city are riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and monetary insecurity. Threats from shady figures in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the fear of institutional observation and imprisonment, represented by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a poignant examination into survival, chosen family, and the pursuit of self within a harsh urban landscape.
