It is a widely held belief in certain circles that sharing custody a pet post-separation is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such arrangements impede individuals from moving forward, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and become annoying across the board. As it turns out, in a revelation worthy of a streaming movie, it also makes the dogs themselves to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the mental health of animals – pet parents speak of their deep emotional capacity. For a standout portrayal in dog sorrow, consider a past film. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time adjusting to split households. Whether this premise an entire Christmas romance on this conflict works effectively is a questionable prospect.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, crafted by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims more profound than what it is. We have here a seasonal offering from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth is limited. The narrative unfolds as straightforward: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is matched by their dog's, embark on a therapeutic trip to a canine-centric retreat. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. The supporting cast – featuring familiar faces – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look carries the feel of a streaming service original, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – think fake snow surrounding green trees as a summer location stands in for a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these familiar elements come together into something enjoyable hinges on the execution and an acceptance of comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who browse regularly for cute animal clips. The film delivers a series of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is the dog, and though it results in some stilted moments between animal action and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, dog depression, and, ultimately, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Human Element
This level of success is not earned for the human side of the story. The tone shifts uneasily between relationship drama, wacky comedy, formulaic romance, and silly gags, never fully committing to a single genre. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is willing to embrace the humiliating and funny inherent in the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a charming humility that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this seemingly ideal couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. The character seems a little too aloof, notably when alongside Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog manages looking despondent – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains an excellent dog.)
The story strives to give weight to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, since the title character is easily the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The cause for their separation might seem more adult and realistic with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting all its marks. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting isn't a bad idea – though it's hardly a great one either.
- Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video this December.
