Evoking the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets are fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and monetary insecurity. Threats from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the dread of institutional observation and imprisonment, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film functions as a heartfelt look into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the quest for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
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