Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Evoking the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted 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 queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.
"The city might be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Relationship 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. Intimidation from shady figures in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the fear of state surveillance and jail time, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film functions as a heartfelt examination into resilience, chosen family, and the search for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
