It is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that jointly caring for a canine companion following a split is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such arrangements impede ex-partners from moving forward, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and prove frustrating across the board. Seemingly, and in a twist suited to a streaming movie, it also makes the dogs themselves to become depressed.
Not to downplay the emotional well-being of our pets – countless people attest to their deep emotional capacity. For a masterclass in pet despair, consider another performance. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult adjusting to divided living arrangements. Whether this premise a full holiday film around this situation works effectively seems a questionable prospect.Predictable Foundations
Fairness demands noting, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and under the guidance of director Swale, makes no grand claims more profound than its premise. It functions as a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the ambitions is limited. The narrative unfolds as simple and direct: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, take a therapeutic trip to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. 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 branded content, with a wintry atmosphere that is visibly contrived – think flurries piled on green trees as North Carolina stands in for a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
How these predictable parts come together into something enjoyable depends on the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv knows its audience – those people who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. It provides a plethora of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is Merv himself, and while this leads to some awkward editing between animal action and human reaction, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, pet moping, and, in the end, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. Its style shifts uneasily between emotional depth, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, failing to master any one mode. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is admirably committed the humiliating and funny required by the unusual premise. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that provides 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 seems a touch too detached, especially when alongside Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, the canine performer succeeds in 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 sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, considering the title character is easily the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The catalyst for the split would feel more adult and realistic with greater exploration and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting all its marks. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting isn't a bad idea – even if it's not exactly a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.
