This is a widely held belief for numerous people that jointly caring for a canine companion post-separation is ill-advised. Most will argue such situations impede ex-partners from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and become annoying across the board. As it turns out, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it also makes the dogs themselves to experience sadness.
Not to downplay the emotional well-being of animals – many owners attest to their remarkable empathy. For a masterclass in canine melancholy, consider another performance. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a spirited little dog portrayed by Gus the Dog, would struggle adapting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on this conflict holds water seems a questionable prospect.Standard Holiday Fare
Honestly, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than a light film. We have here a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the ambitions are modest. Its storyline is destined to be uncomplicated: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, take a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. Once there, as expected, they will presumably rediscover the idea that they are better together. Side characters – including Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – as seen in obvious snow effects clinging to lush pines as a summer location doubles as a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
If these predictable parts coalesce into a pleasant experience depends on the strength of the performances and the viewer's appetite for comfort viewing. Regarding the second aspect, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who seek out for pet content. It provides a series of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is the dog, and while this leads to some awkward editing between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie does offer dog beach fun, pet moping, and, finally, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise cannot be applied for the romantic plot. The film's approach wavers between serious study, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to a single genre. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is willing to embrace the humiliating and funny demanded of the unusual premise. He brings a charming humility that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. The character comes across as a little too aloof, especially when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog is convincing at acting depressed – while no the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he's definitely a scene-stealer.)
The film attempts to give weight to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – a bit of a pity, considering Merv is undoubtedly the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The reason for their original breakup might seem more grounded and mature with greater exploration and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling all its marks. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting has potential – but it's hardly a stroke of genius.
- Merv streams on the Amazon platform this December.
