Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Channelling the metropolitan unease and vibrancy 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; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets might be fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the fear of government monitoring and incarceration, represented by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film functions as a moving exploration into resilience, chosen family, and the search for self within a harsh urban landscape.
