It is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that co-parenting a pet post-separation is a recipe for trouble. Experts frequently claim such setups impede former couples from finding closure, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and prove frustrating for all parties. As it turns out, as a development suited to a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to feel down.
While respecting the mental health of our pets – pet parents attest to their deep emotional capacity. To witness a standout portrayal in canine melancholy, one need only look another performance. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix played by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adapting to split households. Whether this premise an entire Christmas romance around this situation is sustainable is a questionable prospect.Predictable Foundations
Fairness demands noting, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and directed by playwright Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than a light film. We have here a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity are modest. The plot proves to be straightforward: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their own sadness is rivaled only by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will presumably rediscover the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – including Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Visually carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – exemplified by fake snow piled on lush pines as North Carolina doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
If these standard ingredients come together into an entertaining watch hinges on the strength of the performances and one's taste for comfort viewing. Regarding the second aspect, Merv hones in on a demographic – the kind who seek out for cute animal clips. Audiences receive a plethora of canine-centric sequences. The central draw is Merv himself, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie delivers on canine party antics, pet moping, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
Such effectiveness is not earned for the romantic plot. The tone vacillates between serious study, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a single genre. No blame falls on Charlie Cox, who is willing to embrace the absurd and awkward required by the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a likable self-deprecation that offers much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will click for some but not others. The character seems a touch too detached, especially when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (It should be noted, the canine performer succeeds in flopping and whining – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still an excellent dog.)
The film attempts to provide depth to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, since Merv is undoubtedly the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for their separation might seem more nuanced with greater exploration and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is gentle and pleasant, meeting all its marks. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting is not terrible – though I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on Prime Video this December.
