This is a common warning among many that jointly caring for a pet post-separation is ill-advised. Most will argue such situations hinder former couples from healing, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and prove frustrating for all parties. As it turns out, and in a twist worthy of a streaming movie, it also makes the dogs themselves to feel down.
Without minimizing the inner life of our pets – pet parents speak of their remarkable empathy. For a prime example in canine melancholy, one need only look another performance. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a spirited little dog portrayed by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time coping with divided living arrangements. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance on this conflict works effectively is a questionable prospect.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, written by its screenwriters and helmed by Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than a light film. It functions as a seasonal offering from a corporate studio – the complexity is limited. The plot is destined to be straightforward: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly rediscover the idea that they are better together. Side characters – featuring familiar faces – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually has the quality of a branded content, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – think flurries piled on green trees as a summer location stands in for the Northeast.
The Dog's Domain
If these predictable parts coalesce into something enjoyable depends on the strength of the performances and an acceptance of comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – individuals who browse regularly for cute animal clips. It provides a series of canine-centric sequences. The central draw is the canine star, and though it results in some awkward editing between animal action and people's faces, the movie does offer canine party antics, dog depression, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
The Human Element
The same praise is not earned for the romantic plot. Its style shifts uneasily between emotional depth, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and silly gags, failing to master any one mode. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is willing to embrace the silliness and cringe required by the unusual premise. His performance contains a charming humility that provides the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, brings a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. The character can feel a bit too dry, notably when paired with Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (It should be noted, the canine performer manages looking despondent – while no Messi from that acclaimed drama, 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, given that the title character is easily the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The reason for the split could have been more nuanced with greater exploration and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Crafting a story about dog co-parenting is not terrible – even if I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv streams on Prime Video on December 10th.
