This is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that jointly caring for a pet following a split is a terrible idea. Most will argue such situations hinder individuals from finding closure, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and are a nuisance across the board. As it turns out, as a development suited to a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause our furry friends to become depressed.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of dogs – pet parents speak of their profound sensitivity. If you need masterclass in pet despair, simply recall another performance. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a spirited little dog played by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time coping with split households. Whether this premise an entire Christmas romance on such a setup is sustainable is a questionable prospect.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, written by the writing duo and directed by director Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than a light film. It functions as a seasonal offering from a streaming platform giant – the complexity is limited. Its storyline unfolds as uncomplicated: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their post-breakup gloom is matched by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will presumably rediscover the idea that they are better together. Side characters – played by familiar faces – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Its aesthetic carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a wintry atmosphere that is clearly manufactured – think fake snow surrounding lush pines as a warm climate doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
If these standard ingredients come together into an entertaining watch hinges on the execution and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – the kind who browse regularly for cute animal clips. The film delivers a plethora of canine-centric sequences. The primary selling point is Merv himself, and even if it causes some stilted moments between animal action and human reaction, the movie does offer canine party antics, pet moping, and, in the end, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Human Element
The same praise is not earned for the interpersonal drama. The film's approach vacillates between relationship drama, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and silly gags, never fully committing to a consistent feel. No blame falls on Charlie Cox, who is fully game the absurd and awkward required by the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that supplies the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, brings a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna comes across as a bit too dry, notably when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (It should be noted, Merv himself succeeds in flopping and whining – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still a scene-stealer.)
The story strives to add substance to the central romance for scenes without their pet – a bit of a pity, considering Merv is by far the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for the split would feel more grounded and mature with greater exploration and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is gentle and pleasant, hitting all its marks. Crafting a story about dog co-parenting is not terrible – even if it's hardly a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video this December.
