This is a widely held belief among many that jointly caring for a pet post-separation is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such arrangements prevent individuals from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and become annoying for all parties. Seemingly, in a revelation suited to a streaming movie, it also makes the dogs themselves to become depressed.
Without minimizing the mental health of our pets – pet parents speak of their deep emotional capacity. To witness a masterclass in pet despair, one need only look a past film. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by Gus the Dog, would struggle coping with split households. If this concept an entire Christmas romance around this situation works effectively seems rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and under the guidance of director Swale, never aspires to be anything more than its premise. We have here a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the depth are modest. Its storyline proves to be uncomplicated: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a luxury pet hotel. Once there, as expected, they will presumably realize the idea that they belong with each other. The supporting cast – featuring familiar faces – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually has the quality of a branded content, with a wintry atmosphere that is obviously artificial – think fake snow clinging to lush pines as a summer location doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these predictable parts come together into something enjoyable depends on the actors' work and an acceptance of comfort viewing. Regarding the second aspect, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. Audiences receive a series of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the dog, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, finally, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. The film's approach wavers between emotional depth, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to a consistent feel. No blame falls on Cox's performance, who is willing to embrace the silliness and cringe demanded of the bizarre setting. Cox exhibits a endearing lack of ego that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, in her typical fashion, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. The character comes across as a little too aloof, notably when alongside Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Merv himself is convincing at flopping and whining – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he's definitely a scene-stealer.)
The story strives to provide depth to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – a bit of a pity, since Merv is undoubtedly the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for their separation would feel more nuanced with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting isn't a bad idea – but it's hardly a stroke of genius.
- Merv premieres on the Amazon platform starting December 10.
