Muriel's Wedding

The script from PJ Hogan is a lean and twisty wonder, offering Muriel several false dawns and even some dream nuptials before she finally comprehends the movie’s central message, that marriage is no substitute for personal empowerment.

Hogan also gave us our first real view of Toni Collette who started the way she meant to go on: being outstanding in everything she is in.

The two fine, edgy performances by Collette and Griffiths keep things afloat.

Hogan directs in a bright, sketchy, almost comic-strip style. Yet hi outstanding achievement, the quality that sets Muriel's Wedding apart from the current crop of Australian comedies... is his use of tragic incidents to darken the lightness.

It's funny, strange and, best of all, graced with strong human compassion. Visually, Muriel's Wedding is a bustling blend of wry humor and acerbic social satire.

There's a high enough feelgood factor here to compensate for the detours off the comedy highway.

...completely (and compulsively) watchable for the duration of its relatively fast-paced running time...

Collette is delightful, or as delightful as she could be, as Muriel.

Hogan’s smart and sassy 1994 rom-com

It's one of my favorite movies, it's fundamental, and I think its movie poster-which shows Collette wearing a wedding dress, grinning, while confetti rains down on her-inspired a few lookalike movie posters.