Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Channelling the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness 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, teeming with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The urban landscape can be fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the fear of institutional observation and imprisonment, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film stands as a poignant examination into making ends meet, chosen family, and the pursuit of purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.
