It is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that co-parenting a pet following a split is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such setups prevent former couples from healing, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and are a nuisance for all parties. Apparently, as a development worthy of a streaming movie, it also makes the dogs themselves to become depressed.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of animals – countless people observe their deep emotional capacity. To witness a standout portrayal in dog sorrow, consider another performance. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time coping with split households. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom around this situation is sustainable is debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, crafted by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than a light film. We have here a Christmas movie from a corporate studio – the complexity remains surface-level. The narrative proves to be uncomplicated: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, embark on a therapeutic trip to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – think obvious snow effects piled on green trees as a summer location stands in for a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
Whether these familiar elements come together into an entertaining watch hinges on the actors' work and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. Regarding the second aspect, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who browse regularly for dog videos. It provides a plethora of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the dog, and though it results in some stilted moments between animal action and people's faces, the movie delivers on canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success cannot be applied for the human side of the story. Its style vacillates between relationship drama, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, failing to master a single genre. This is not Charlie Cox, who is willing to embrace the absurd and awkward required by the dog resort scenario. He brings a likable self-deprecation that provides much of the film's charm for this ostensibly perfect couple. Anna's portrayer, in her typical fashion, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will either resonate with viewers. The character comes across as a touch too detached, notably when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (It should be noted, Merv himself is convincing at acting depressed – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he is still an excellent dog.)
The film attempts to give weight to the central romance for scenes without their pet – a bit of a pity, given that the title character is undoubtedly the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The reason for their separation could have been more grounded and mature with more screen time and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is gentle and pleasant, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie with this canine conflict has potential – but I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.
