This is a common warning in certain circles that co-parenting a canine companion after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such arrangements impede ex-partners from healing, create logistical nightmares, lead to tension, and prove frustrating for all parties. Seemingly, and in a twist fit for a direct-to-platform film, it also makes our furry friends to feel down.
While respecting the emotional well-being of our pets – countless people observe their remarkable empathy. If you need masterclass in canine melancholy, one need only look a past film. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a spirited little dog played by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult adjusting to split households. The idea of basing a full holiday film on such a setup works effectively is a questionable prospect.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, crafted by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims more profound than its premise. We have here a Christmas movie from a corporate studio – the complexity are modest. The narrative is destined to be uncomplicated: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their own sadness is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. Once there, as expected, they will presumably stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Side characters – including a group of comedic actors – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually carries the feel of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – think fake snow surrounding lush pines as a summer location doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
Whether these predictable parts merge into something enjoyable rests upon the actors' work and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. Regarding the second aspect, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. Audiences receive a wealth of adorable dog montages. The primary selling point is the dog, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, pet moping, and, ultimately, doggie joy.
Where It Wobbles
The same praise is not earned for the romantic plot. The tone vacillates between emotional depth, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, failing to master any one mode. No blame falls on Charlie Cox, who is willing to embrace the absurd and awkward demanded of the bizarre setting. Cox exhibits a charming humility that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. The character can feel a touch too detached, particularly when alongside Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, Merv himself manages flopping and whining – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still an excellent dog.)
Merv tries to add substance to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, given that the title character is undoubtedly the cutest element of this film designed for charm. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The reason for their original breakup could have been more grounded and mature with more screen time and fewer direct statements. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting all its marks. Making a film with this canine conflict has potential – though I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv streams on Prime Video on December 10th.
