Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Evoking the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and selling drugs.
A Study of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The urban landscape are riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and economic precarity. Threats from nefarious characters in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the dread of government monitoring and incarceration, 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 system. The film stands as a heartfelt look into resilience, found community, and the pursuit of identity within a demanding urban landscape.
