This is a widely held belief in certain circles that jointly caring for a pet following a split is a recipe for trouble. Most will argue such arrangements prevent former couples from finding closure, create logistical nightmares, lead to tension, and prove frustrating across the board. As it turns out, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it can even cause our furry friends to feel down.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of dogs – countless people observe their remarkable empathy. If you need standout portrayal in pet despair, one need only look another performance. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by the canine actor Gus, would struggle coping with divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a full holiday film on such a setup holds water seems rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
Fairness demands noting, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and directed by director Swale, doesn't pretend to be anything more than a light film. This is a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the complexity is limited. The narrative proves to be simple and direct: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, take a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. Once there, as expected, they will presumably rediscover the idea that they belong with each other. Ensemble players – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – think flurries clinging to verdant foliage as North Carolina stands in for a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
How these predictable parts merge into a pleasant experience rests upon the strength of the performances and the viewer's appetite for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv knows its audience – individuals who seek out for cute animal clips. Audiences receive a plethora of adorable dog montages. The primary selling point is the dog, and while this leads to some awkward editing between the pet's "lines" and human reaction, the movie does offer walking sequences, canine sorrow, and, ultimately, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success cannot be applied for the human side of the story. The tone wavers between relationship drama, zany antics, predictable love story, and physical comedy, failing to master a single genre. This is not Charlie Cox, who is fully game the silliness and cringe demanded of the unusual premise. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that supplies a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, in her typical fashion, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. The character seems a bit too dry, notably when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (On another note, Gus the Dog succeeds in looking despondent – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he's definitely a very good boy.)
Merv tries to give weight to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – a bit of a pity, considering the title character is easily the cutest element of this film designed for charm. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The reason for their separation would feel more grounded and mature with more screen time and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, hitting all its marks. Crafting a story about dog co-parenting has potential – even if I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv streams on Prime Video this December.
