It is a widely held belief in certain circles that co-parenting a pet post-separation is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such arrangements hinder ex-partners from healing, create logistical nightmares, spark arguments, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. Seemingly, in a revelation suited to a streaming movie, it can even cause the dogs themselves to feel down.
While respecting the mental health of our pets – many owners speak of their remarkable empathy. For a masterclass in pet despair, consider another performance. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by a talented dog named Gus, would find it difficult coping with divided living arrangements. Whether this premise an entire Christmas romance around this situation works effectively remains rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, written by the writing duo and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than its premise. It functions as a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the ambitions are modest. Its storyline unfolds as simple and direct: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Side characters – including familiar faces – fulfill roles eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look carries the feel of a streaming service original, with a wintry atmosphere that is clearly manufactured – as seen in obvious snow effects piled on verdant foliage as a summer location doubles as a cold December city.
The Canine Charisma
If these standard ingredients coalesce into a pleasant experience rests upon the execution and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – the kind who browse regularly for cute animal clips. Audiences receive a plethora of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is the canine star, and even if it causes some stilted moments between animal action and human reaction, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, pet moping, and, ultimately, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
Such effectiveness cannot be applied for the human side of the story. The tone vacillates between serious study, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, not quite landing any one mode. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the absurd and awkward inherent in the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a likable self-deprecation that supplies much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, in her typical fashion, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna can feel a bit too dry, notably when alongside Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Merv himself is convincing at looking despondent – while no a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains a very good boy.)
The story strives to provide depth to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, given that Merv is undoubtedly the best part of this feel-good picture. As one might predict, it achieves only baseline competence. The catalyst for their original breakup might seem more nuanced with less exposition and fewer direct statements. In the end, Merv is gentle and pleasant, hitting all its marks. Crafting a story with this canine conflict isn't a bad idea – but I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.
- Merv premieres on the Amazon platform this December.
