‘Baby’ Review: Marcelo Caetano’s Coming of Age Story is a Thoughtful Look at Predatory Power | Cannes

Cannes Critics’ Week selection Baby tells the heartbreaking coming-of-age story of a young man desperately in search of a father figure and systematically failed by everyone he turns to. Frankly, it’s surprising that it has taken this long for such a familiar narrative in the gay community to finally be manifested on celluloid after then-still-closeted George Michael dropped a whole track on it in 1987.  

Sure, we’ve seen glimpses of the May-December dynamic in Call Me by Your Name, Eastern Boys, L.I.E. etc., but the circumstances portrayed so far have all seemingly been anomalies, while this is a phenomenon that’s long overdue for the kind of clear-eyed inspection that Baby undertakes. 

In the opening, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) is getting ready for his release after a 2-year juvie stint in São Paulo. He returns home only to find his parents have vanished. So he reconnects with his crew, the House of Close Certo, that vogues on public transit for handouts by day and sneaks into the porn theater to pick pockets at night. Based on the members’ banter, Wellington may or may not have been sent to juvie for committing arson on school grounds and accidentally killing five people, because we know for a fact he’s lying about something.  

He cruises inside the theater, pausing before the solid, bearded Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro). Their passionate lip locking comes to a screeching halt when Wellington discloses that he has no cash on him, at which point Ronaldo demands that Wellington move along because Ronaldo is working. 

When they meet again outside, Ronaldo encourages Wellington, who is going by the pseudonym Cléber, to work as an escort and suggests that a wealthy patron would love to watch them go at it – while at the same time the teen is pouring his heart out about his police officer father never accepting him. Once their client crosses a line, Ronaldo tells Cléber to stop being a baby and assures him that the transgression isn’t half bad or weird compared with some of the acts he himself has been asked to perform. Before long, Cléber is on the streets helping Ronaldo push drugs. 

Wellington/Cléber is a hothead with clear anger issues, portrayed with raw authenticity by Mariano. He’s not stereotypical; he’ll physically fight bullies. Gay or straight, delinquents like Wellington are generally to be avoided by those who wish to steer clear of trouble. He’s thus not getting the help he needs, not even from his parents. Viewers are seldom asked to empathize with troubled young people like these, not to mention ones who are queer. Baby is rare in that it doesn’t treat Wellington with a drip of judgment or condescension.  

It isn’t necessarily carnal pleasure Cléber is after, but nurture and direction, and yet he doesn’t seem self-aware enough to understand that. As the father of a 13-year-old, Ronaldo exhibits natural paternal instincts and teaches Cléber how to box. But he also gets strict about not letting Cléber off for a few days to mingle with his peers, not to build character but to keep the cash flowing. There’s an emotional bond between them, but that doesn’t make their relationship any less exploitative.  

In due time, Cléber rebels against Ronaldo’s controlling nature and becomes involved with another older gentleman, Alexandre (Marcelo Várzea). Ronaldo is obviously jealous, but you also can’t dismiss the possibility it’s because his livelihood is potentially threatened. 

Alexandre is a sugar daddy proper, who lives in a mansion and showers the young man with gifts and a vacation – to the point he’s bold enough to demand a new phone. Alexandre spent years in the closet until his daughters were grown and he and his wife divorced. He believes the younger generation has it much easier, completely oblivious to the fact that it’s much more difficult to brave uncharted territories alone than to follow traditional well-trodden paths. Upon learning Wellington’s shady past, Alexandre has second thoughts on their relationship. Once again, the unconditional love Wellington longs for eludes him. 

Director Marcelo Caetano, who wrote the screenplay with Gabriel Domingues, deftly illustrates the appeal this predatory power dynamic can have for someone young and impressionable. Aside from physical attraction, there is also the illusion of stability and fostering. Certainly, middle-aged men aren’t the only ones responsible for the transactional nature of the relationships, but they are the only ones old enough to know better. 

Indeed, queers rarely have trustworthy elders, such as a relative or a teacher, to guide, support and show them the ropes without taking advantage. This turns out badly for vulnerable youngsters like Wellington, who so eagerly trusts older men who do not have his best interest at heart. The entire concept of an LGTBQIA+ community is undermined by our inability to take care of each other. The kind of devastating coming-of-age gauntlet Baby depicts shouldn’t really be a rite of passage for young queers.

Grade: B

This review is from the 2024 Cannes Film Festival where Baby premiered in the Critics’ Week section. It will be released by Dark Star Pictures and Uncork’d Entertainment in the U.S.