It is a widely held belief in certain circles that jointly caring for a dog post-separation is ill-advised. Most will argue such setups prevent ex-partners from healing, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and become annoying for everyone involved. Seemingly, in a revelation suited to a direct-to-platform film, it also makes the dogs themselves to experience sadness.
Not to downplay the mental health of dogs – pet parents observe their profound sensitivity. To witness a prime example in pet despair, simply recall another performance. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by a talented dog named Gus, would find it difficult adapting to divided living arrangements. If this concept an entire Christmas romance on this conflict holds water is rather doubtful.Standard Holiday Fare
Fairness demands noting, Merv, written by the writing duo and under the guidance of playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than its premise. It functions as a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions remains surface-level. Its storyline proves to be uncomplicated: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they are better together. Side characters – played by a group of comedic actors – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Visually is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is clearly manufactured – as seen in obvious snow effects piled on verdant foliage as a summer location doubles as the Northeast.
The Dog's Domain
If these familiar elements come together into something enjoyable hinges on the execution and the viewer's appetite for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who browse regularly for cute animal clips. The film delivers a series of adorable dog montages. The primary selling point is the dog, and while this leads to some stilted moments between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie delivers on walking sequences, pet moping, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
The same praise cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. The tone wavers between emotional depth, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to a consistent feel. This is not Charlie Cox, who is fully game the absurd and awkward required by the unusual premise. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that offers much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna seems a bit too dry, notably when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, Gus the Dog succeeds in flopping and whining – while no a canine thespian of that caliber, he is still a very good boy.)
The film attempts to give weight to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, given that the dog is undoubtedly the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The reason for their original breakup could have been more grounded and mature with more screen time and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is gentle and pleasant, hitting all its marks. Creating a movie with this canine conflict is not terrible – even if it's not exactly a brilliant concept.
- Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video this December.
