It is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that jointly caring for a canine companion following a split is a terrible idea. Most will argue such arrangements impede ex-partners from healing, create logistical nightmares, lead to tension, and become annoying across the board. As it turns out, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it can even cause the dogs themselves to become depressed.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of animals – countless people speak of their remarkable empathy. If you need masterclass in pet despair, simply recall a past film. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix played by a talented dog named Gus, would find it difficult adjusting to split households. If this concept a full holiday film on this conflict holds water seems debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
Honestly, Merv, written by its screenwriters and directed by director Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than a light film. We have here a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth is limited. Its storyline proves to be straightforward: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their own sadness is surpassed by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will presumably rediscover the idea that they are better together. Side characters – featuring familiar faces – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look carries the feel of a streaming service original, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – as seen in fake snow surrounding green trees as a summer location stands in for a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
If these predictable parts come together into something enjoyable rests upon the actors' work and one's taste for comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. It provides a wealth of scenes focused on the pet. The primary selling point is the canine star, and though it results in some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing walking sequences, dog depression, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise is not earned for the romantic plot. Its style shifts uneasily between serious study, wacky comedy, formulaic romance, and silly gags, not quite landing a consistent feel. No blame falls on the actor playing Russ, who is willing to embrace the humiliating and funny inherent in the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a endearing lack of ego that supplies a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, true to her usual style, brings a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal can feel a bit too dry, especially when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog is convincing at acting depressed – while no a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains a scene-stealer.)
The film attempts to add substance to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, considering the title character is undoubtedly the best part of this feel-good picture. As one might predict, it just about gets by. The catalyst for the split might seem more grounded and mature with more screen time and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, hitting all its marks. Creating a movie with this canine conflict isn't a bad idea – though I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.
- Merv premieres on the Amazon platform this December.
