Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Channelling the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets are fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Threats from dubious individuals in the underworld seem minor next to the dread of state surveillance and imprisonment, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film stands as a poignant look into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.
