Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Evoking the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; left behind by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace 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 muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his patrons, 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 adrift individuals grasp at one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets can be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated 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 monetary insecurity. Threats from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about institutional observation and imprisonment, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film functions as a heartfelt examination into survival, found community, and the search for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
