This is a common warning for numerous people that co-parenting a dog after a breakup is ill-advised. Most will argue such setups prevent individuals from moving forward, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. As it turns out, and in a twist suited to a direct-to-platform film, it also makes the dogs themselves to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the mental health of dogs – many owners observe their deep emotional capacity. If you need prime example in dog sorrow, consider recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle coping with split households. If this concept a full holiday film on such a setup holds water is rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
Honestly, Merv, the work of the writing duo and under the guidance of playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than its premise. It functions as a seasonal offering from a corporate studio – the depth remains surface-level. Its storyline unfolds as simple and direct: a separated couple Russ (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. There, inevitably, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they belong with each other. Ensemble players – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – exemplified by obvious snow effects piled on verdant foliage as North Carolina stands in for a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
How these standard ingredients merge into a pleasant experience depends on the strength of the performances and the viewer's appetite for comfort viewing. Regarding the second aspect, Merv knows its audience – those people who browse regularly for cute animal clips. Audiences receive a series of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is Merv himself, and even if it causes some stilted moments between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie delivers on canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
The same praise cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. Its style wavers between relationship drama, zany antics, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, failing to master a consistent feel. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is willing to embrace the silliness and cringe required by the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a charming humility that provides much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna can feel a little too aloof, especially when alongside Cox's genuine sadness. (On another note, the canine performer succeeds in acting depressed – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he's definitely a very good boy.)
Merv tries to give weight to the central romance for moments when the dog is absent – which is unfortunate, given that Merv is by far the best part of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for the split would feel more nuanced with less exposition and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, fulfilling all its marks. Making a film about dog co-parenting is not terrible – even if it's hardly a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video starting December 10.
