Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Capturing the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama focuses on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape might be fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the shadow economy seem minor next to the dread of state surveillance and imprisonment, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a poignant exploration into survival, chosen family, and the pursuit of purpose within a harsh urban landscape.
