It is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that co-parenting a canine companion post-separation is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such arrangements prevent individuals from moving forward, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. Seemingly, as a development fit for a direct-to-platform film, it also makes the canine in question to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of animals – pet parents speak of their profound sensitivity. If you need masterclass in pet despair, consider another performance. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a spirited little dog brought to life by Gus the Dog, would find it difficult adapting to split households. Whether this premise a full holiday film around this situation is sustainable is debatable at best.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, crafted by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than what it is. We have here a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions are modest. The narrative unfolds as straightforward: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. At this location, predictably, they will presumably rediscover the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – played by familiar faces – fulfill roles the usual assortment of types. The film's look carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a wintry atmosphere that is visibly contrived – exemplified by fake snow surrounding verdant foliage as a warm climate substitutes for a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
How these familiar elements come together into an entertaining watch hinges on the strength of the performances and one's taste for easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. Audiences receive a wealth of adorable dog montages. The central draw is the dog, and though it results in some stilted moments between animal action and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, pet moping, and, finally, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise is not earned for the interpersonal drama. The film's approach wavers between relationship drama, zany antics, formulaic romance, and silly gags, not quite landing a single genre. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is admirably committed the absurd and awkward required by the dog resort scenario. He brings a charming humility that provides much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will click for some but not others. The character can feel a little too aloof, notably when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (On another note, Gus the Dog is convincing at acting depressed – while no Messi from that acclaimed drama, he is still an excellent dog.)
The film attempts to give weight to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, considering the title character is by far the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The catalyst for their original breakup would feel more adult and realistic with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, meeting every expected note. Making a film with this canine conflict is not terrible – though it's hardly a brilliant concept.
- Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video this December.
