Baby Film Analysis: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order
Capturing the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy 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 lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The city are filled with danger, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the fear of state surveillance and jail time, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers in the area.
Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film functions as a poignant look into survival, chosen family, and the search for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
