Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Channelling the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The city might be fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about institutional observation and jail time, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt examination into survival, chosen family, and the quest for self within a harsh urban landscape.
