This is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that co-parenting a pet following a split is a terrible idea. Experts frequently claim such arrangements prevent former couples from moving forward, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and become annoying for all parties. Apparently, as a development fit for a streaming movie, it also makes the canine in question to become depressed.
While respecting the inner life of our pets – countless people attest to their remarkable empathy. For a standout portrayal in pet despair, one need only look another performance. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type played by a talented dog named Gus, would have a hard time coping with divided living arrangements. Whether this premise an entire Christmas romance around this situation holds water is a questionable prospect.A Familiar Formula
Honestly, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be deeper than what it is. It functions as a Christmas movie from a corporate studio – the complexity remains surface-level. The narrative unfolds as uncomplicated: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their individual funk is matched by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – including familiar faces – fulfill roles eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look is reminiscent of a branded content, with a wintry atmosphere that is obviously artificial – as seen in obvious snow effects surrounding lush pines as a summer location stands in for a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
How these predictable parts come together into a pleasant experience rests upon the execution and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who scroll endlessly for dog videos. It provides a plethora of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is the canine star, and though it results in some stilted moments between what the dog does and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, pet moping, and, finally, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise cannot be applied for the human side of the story. The tone vacillates between emotional depth, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and silly gags, never fully committing to a consistent feel. No blame falls on Cox's performance, who is fully game the humiliating and funny inherent in the bizarre setting. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that provides much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, brings a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal seems a touch too detached, especially when alongside Cox's genuine sadness. (It should be noted, Merv himself is convincing at looking despondent – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely a very good boy.)
The story strives to provide depth to Anna and Russ's relationship for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, since Merv is easily the most adorable aspect of this feel-good picture. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for the split might seem more nuanced with more screen time and fewer direct statements. In the end, Merv is gentle and pleasant, meeting every expected note. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – even if I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video this December.
