It is a common warning in certain circles that jointly caring for a canine companion following a split is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such situations prevent individuals from finding closure, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and become annoying across the board. As it turns out, in a revelation fit for a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to feel down.
While respecting the mental health of our pets – countless people attest to their deep emotional capacity. For a prime example in pet despair, simply recall another performance. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix played by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adjusting to life in two homes. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on such a setup is sustainable is rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, the work of the writing duo and helmed by director Swale, doesn't pretend to be deeper than what it is. This is a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the depth are modest. The narrative is destined to be uncomplicated: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, embark on a therapeutic trip to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. The supporting cast – featuring a group of comedic actors – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Its aesthetic carries the feel of a branded content, with a wintry atmosphere that is visibly contrived – exemplified by flurries clinging to lush pines as a summer location stands in for a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
How these standard ingredients come together into an entertaining watch depends on the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – individuals who browse regularly for cute animal clips. Audiences receive a series of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is Merv himself, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between animal action and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, dog depression, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
This level of success is not earned for the human side of the story. The tone wavers between serious study, broad humor, predictable love story, and silly gags, not quite landing a consistent feel. The fault lies not with Charlie Cox, who is willing to embrace the humiliating and funny inherent in the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, brings a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. The character seems a bit too dry, particularly when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (It should be noted, the canine performer manages flopping and whining – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he's definitely an excellent dog.)
Merv tries to give weight to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, given that the title character is by far the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for the split might seem more grounded and mature with less exposition and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is gentle and pleasant, fulfilling all its marks. Making a film about dog co-parenting isn't a bad idea – even if it's hardly a brilliant concept.
- Merv streams on Prime Video this December.
