Muriel’s Wedding
Director: P.J. Hogan
30 December 2022
See
Him: Muriel’s Wedding directed by PJj. Hogan is a modern classic of Australiana. Muriel (Toni Colette’s breakthrough role) is terrible. On the dole, living with her family in Porpois Spit, listening to Abba on repeat, the bitchy so called-friends she follows around reject her. But she follows them on a holiday anyway where she reconnects with Rhonda (Rachel Griffith) and her life changes.
Her: Murie’s Wedding by the Australian film director P.J. Hogan. It’s the second of his films that I’ve seen and really liked and putting another film, My Best Friend’s Wedding on my list.
Think
Him: The down not out attitude carries this film to be feel good because the characters living in suburban Queensland are sad, and limited to high school clicks, if you’re uneducated, married and stuck in a parochial mindset. In Sydney, Muriel reinvents herself as Mariel, working in a video store, living with Rhonda, having a laugh and a good time, fantasising about her wedding, but lying to others and herself.
Her: I like how P.J. Hogan embraces Australian tackiness in this film. Even though it aged visually, the story is classic: a girl from a provincial small town with not many prospects and the only ambition – to get to the big smoke with hope to rediscover herself and run away from her previous life. I liked that Muriel’s character doesn’t have any outstanding talents, she’s a very simple girl who nevertheless is determined to succeed, and does.
Feel
Him: Muriel opening up when doing the talent show Abba lip sync is a revelation. She comes the person she wants to become and is able to change her life. Rhonda eventually catches on but only after Mariel proved herself a loyal friend who will stand by her through cancer and being paralysed. Mariel backslides when getting visa married to a hot South African swimmer. She’s stuck in the fantasy and refriends the girls who abandoned her. Until her mother’s death, after a miserable life enables Muriel to snap out of it and become herself. In the process she becomes beautiful. Backing herself, leaving Porpoise Spit again with Rgibda and together pursuing their big city dreams to make something more of themselves. If they had to do the same again, they would, they’re friends (Fernando).
Her: Despite being at first glance a light heater comedy, this movie has some tragic supplementary storylines (Rhonda’s cancer, Muriel’s mother’s suicide). The roots of Murie;s insecurities and inferiority complex is also explained, her father is a dominant abusive man who manages to repress all of his children’s personalities and pushing his wife to commit suicide. All in all the movies feels nostalgic even though I didn’t grow up in Australia. It’s remarkable, although I still prefer The Dressmaker.
