I found the use of voiceover in Y Tu Mama También to be an interesting way of manipulating or shifting the emotional tone of a scene. The narration usually interrupts lighthearted scenes where the characters are goofing off or teasing each other. Half a second of abrupt silence shocks the audience out of the scene before the narrator delivers a new piece of information or reveals the real emotional truth of the scene. For example, in the beginning of the film, the narrator reveals that the traffic on the highway has been caused by an accident where a migrant worker was hit by a truck on his way to work. By revealing the story of the worker who was killed, the narrator lends what was a light hearted or even stupid scene a larger sense of political or societal importance. After Julio confesses that Ana had cheated on Tenoch with him, the narrator reveals Julio altered some details to ease Tenoch’s pain. This narration adds an emotional complexity not obvious between the characters. While Tree of Life add this emotional complexity through epic, abstract visuals, Y Tu Mamá También implements it through blunt statements about the reality of the scene.
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