It is a common warning in certain circles that sharing custody a canine companion after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. Experts frequently claim such situations prevent individuals from moving forward, cause practical headaches, 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 the canine in question to become depressed.
While respecting the inner life of our pets – countless people speak of their remarkable empathy. If you need prime example in pet despair, one need only look another performance. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, a spirited little dog played by Gus the Dog, would find it difficult adapting to life in two homes. If this concept an entire Christmas romance on this conflict is sustainable remains a questionable prospect.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, the work of the writing duo and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than its premise. We have here a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions are modest. Its storyline is destined to be simple and direct: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their own sadness is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a uplifting getaway to a luxury pet hotel. Once there, as expected, they will presumably stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Side characters – including a group of comedic actors – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually carries the feel of a branded content, with a wintry atmosphere that is obviously artificial – exemplified by flurries piled on verdant foliage as a warm climate doubles as the Northeast.
The Canine Charisma
How these familiar elements coalesce into something enjoyable hinges on the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. Regarding the second aspect, Merv targets a specific viewer – individuals who scroll endlessly for dog videos. Audiences receive a wealth of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the dog, and while this leads to some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, pet moping, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
The same praise cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. Its style shifts uneasily between relationship drama, zany antics, formulaic romance, and silly gags, failing to master a single genre. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the silliness and cringe required by the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Zooey Deschanel, in her typical fashion, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. The character comes across as a touch too detached, especially when paired with Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, Merv himself succeeds in flopping and whining – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he's definitely a very good boy.)
Merv tries to add substance to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – a regrettable choice, considering Merv is by far the cutest element of this film designed for charm. As one might predict, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for the split might seem more adult and realistic with less exposition and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is gentle and pleasant, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Crafting a story about dog co-parenting has potential – but I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on the Amazon platform this December.
