Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Channelling the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Empathy Instead of Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The urban landscape can be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and financial instability. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the dread of institutional observation and incarceration, represented by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film stands as a heartfelt examination into survival, chosen family, and the search for self within a harsh urban landscape.
