Image copyright © by Marcus Trahan

Muriel’s Wedding

(Australia, 1994)

We rented this because we were so impressed with Toni Collette in Japanese Story. We were delighted. It’s the kind of movie where you think you know where it’s going, and it does get there, but by a route that keeps surprising you. If we had seen this one first I’d have thought “Gee, she sure slimmed down!” But it was exactly the opposite. Apparently she gained 40 pounds to play this role, and it’s even more impressive than De Niro’s famous flabbing-up for Raging Bull.