This is a common warning among many that sharing custody a dog after a breakup is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such situations hinder individuals from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. Apparently, in a revelation worthy of a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to feel down.
Without minimizing the inner life of dogs – countless people attest to their deep emotional capacity. For a masterclass in pet despair, one need only look a past film. I firmly believe that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by Gus the Dog, would find it difficult adjusting to life in two homes. Whether this premise a full holiday film on this conflict holds water seems a questionable prospect.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than its premise. This is a Christmas movie from a corporate studio – the ambitions remains surface-level. The narrative proves to be simple and direct: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they belong with each other. The supporting cast – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – think flurries piled on verdant foliage as a warm climate doubles as the Northeast.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these predictable parts coalesce into an entertaining watch rests upon the strength of the performances and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. Regarding the second aspect, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who seek out for cute animal clips. The film delivers a plethora of canine-centric sequences. The central draw is the dog, and even if it causes some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, dog depression, and, finally, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Human Element
Such effectiveness cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. The film's approach wavers between emotional depth, zany antics, formulaic romance, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to any one mode. No blame falls on Charlie Cox, who is fully game the absurd and awkward required by the unusual premise. He brings a charming humility that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, imparts a distinctive offbeat energy that will click for some but not others. The character comes across as a touch too detached, particularly when paired with Cox's genuine sadness. (On another note, Gus the Dog is convincing at flopping and whining – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he is still a very good boy.)
The story strives to provide depth to Anna and Russ's relationship for moments when the dog is absent – a regrettable choice, since Merv is undoubtedly the most adorable aspect of this film designed for charm. As one might predict, it just about gets by. The reason for their original breakup could have been more grounded and mature with greater exploration and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting all its marks. Creating a movie with this canine conflict is not terrible – even if it's not exactly a great one either.
- Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.
