It is a widely held belief among many that jointly caring for a canine companion after a breakup is a terrible idea. Experts frequently claim such arrangements hinder individuals from healing, create logistical nightmares, spark arguments, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. Seemingly, in a revelation suited to a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to become depressed.
Not to downplay the inner life of our pets – countless people observe their deep emotional capacity. To witness a standout portrayal in canine melancholy, consider recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by Gus the Dog, would struggle adapting to life in two homes. If this concept a feature-length romcom on this conflict works effectively is rather doubtful.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, the work of Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and under the guidance of director Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than what it is. We have here a seasonal offering from a streaming platform giant – the depth is limited. The plot is destined to be straightforward: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their individual funk is matched by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look is reminiscent of a branded content, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – exemplified by flurries piled on lush pines as a warm climate substitutes for a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
How these predictable parts merge into an entertaining watch depends on the execution and one's taste for comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who browse regularly for cute animal clips. It provides a plethora of adorable dog montages. The central draw is the dog, and though it results in some stilted moments between animal action and human reaction, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, dog depression, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success does not extend for the romantic plot. Its style vacillates between relationship drama, wacky comedy, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, failing to master any one mode. The fault lies not with Charlie Cox, who is willing to embrace the silliness and cringe demanded of the bizarre setting. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will either resonate with viewers. Her Anna can feel a little too aloof, particularly when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (It should be noted, the canine performer is convincing at acting depressed – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he remains an excellent dog.)
The film attempts to provide depth to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, since the dog is undoubtedly the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for the split might seem more adult and realistic with greater exploration and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting all its marks. Making a film about dog co-parenting isn't a bad idea – even if I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.
