It is a widely held belief for numerous people that jointly caring for a canine companion following a split is ill-advised. Most will argue such situations hinder individuals from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. Seemingly, in a revelation worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it also makes the canine in question to experience sadness.
While respecting the emotional well-being of animals – many owners observe their remarkable empathy. For a standout portrayal in dog sorrow, simply recall another performance. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a spirited little dog portrayed by Gus the Dog, would struggle adapting to divided living arrangements. If this concept an entire Christmas romance around this situation holds water is a questionable prospect.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, the work of the writing duo and helmed by director Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than what it is. We have here a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the complexity are modest. Its storyline is destined to be simple and direct: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their own sadness is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a therapeutic trip to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – played by familiar faces – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look has the quality of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – as seen in obvious snow effects clinging to verdant foliage as a summer location stands in for a cold December city.
The Canine Charisma
How these familiar elements merge into something enjoyable rests upon the execution and the viewer's appetite for comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. The film delivers a series of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is the canine star, and while this leads to some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie does offer dog beach fun, pet moping, and, ultimately, a tail-wagging resolution.
Where It Wobbles
The same praise cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. The film's approach wavers between emotional depth, broad humor, formulaic romance, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a consistent feel. No blame falls on the actor playing Russ, who is willing to embrace the silliness and cringe inherent in the dog resort scenario. He brings a endearing lack of ego that provides the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Zooey Deschanel, in her typical fashion, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. The character comes across as a touch too detached, particularly when alongside Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (It should be noted, Gus the Dog is convincing at flopping and whining – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he is still a scene-stealer.)
Merv tries to add substance to the central romance for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, given that the dog is by far the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The cause for their original breakup could have been more grounded and mature with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Making a film on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – though I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.
- Merv premieres on Prime Video this December.
