It is a widely held belief in certain circles that jointly caring for a dog post-separation is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such arrangements hinder ex-partners from healing, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and become annoying across the board. As it turns out, as a development worthy of a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to become depressed.
Not to downplay the mental health of animals – pet parents attest to their profound sensitivity. If you need standout portrayal in dog sorrow, simply recall another performance. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix played by a talented dog named Gus, would have a hard time coping with split households. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom on this conflict holds water is debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than what it is. It functions as a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the complexity are modest. The plot proves to be straightforward: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their own sadness is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. Once there, as expected, they will presumably stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Visually has the quality of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – as seen in fake snow surrounding verdant foliage as a warm climate doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
If these predictable parts come together into a pleasant experience rests upon the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – individuals who browse regularly for pet content. The film delivers a plethora of scenes focused on the pet. The primary selling point is the canine star, and while this leads to some stilted moments between what the dog does and the actors' responses, the movie does offer canine party antics, dog depression, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
This level of success is not earned for the human side of the story. The tone wavers between serious study, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, failing to master a single genre. No blame falls on Charlie Cox, who is fully game the humiliating and funny inherent in the unusual premise. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that supplies the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Zooey Deschanel, in her typical fashion, brings a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna can feel a little too aloof, especially when contrasted against Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Merv himself succeeds in acting depressed – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely a scene-stealer.)
The story strives to add substance to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – a regrettable choice, since Merv is undoubtedly the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The catalyst for their separation might seem more grounded and mature with less exposition and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, fulfilling every expected note. Making a film about dog co-parenting has potential – but it's hardly a brilliant concept.
- Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video this December.
