It is a widely held belief among many that co-parenting a pet following a split is ill-advised. Most will argue such situations impede individuals from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. As it turns out, as a development worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause the canine in question to become depressed.
Not to downplay the inner life of animals – countless people speak of their deep emotional capacity. If you need prime example in canine melancholy, consider another performance. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix played by the canine actor Gus, would struggle adapting to life in two homes. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance around this situation works effectively is rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, written by the writing duo and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than what it is. It functions as a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the depth is limited. The plot unfolds as straightforward: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their post-breakup gloom is surpassed by their dog's, decide on a therapeutic trip to a dog-friendly resort. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Visually is reminiscent of a branded content, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – as seen in flurries surrounding green trees as North Carolina doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
If these familiar elements merge into something enjoyable hinges on the execution and one's taste for comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who browse regularly for dog videos. It provides a plethora of scenes focused on the pet. The primary selling point is the dog, and though it results in some stilted moments between animal action and human reaction, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, in the end, doggie joy.
The Human Element
This level of success does not extend for the human side of the story. The film's approach vacillates between emotional depth, broad humor, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a consistent feel. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is admirably committed the absurd and awkward demanded of the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a charming humility that provides much of the film's charm for this ostensibly perfect couple. Zooey Deschanel, true to her usual style, imparts a distinctive offbeat energy that will either resonate with viewers. The character comes across as a touch too detached, especially when alongside Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (It should be noted, Merv himself is convincing at acting depressed – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains a very good boy.)
The film attempts to provide depth to Anna and Russ's relationship for scenes without their pet – a regrettable choice, since Merv is easily the best part of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The catalyst for their original breakup would feel more grounded and mature with less exposition and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling every expected note. Making a film on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – though I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video this December.
