Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Channelling the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets can be filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the dread of institutional observation and incarceration, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film stands as a poignant look into survival, chosen family, and the pursuit of self within a harsh urban landscape.