Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order

Channelling the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama focuses on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (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 lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.

A Study of Understanding Instead of Exploitation

Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.

In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.

"The urban landscape can be riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can forge familial bonds, too."

A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power

Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Threats from dubious individuals in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the dread of government monitoring and jail time, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers in the area.

Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film stands as a poignant examination into resilience, found community, and the pursuit of self within a demanding urban landscape.