It is a widely held belief among many that jointly caring for a dog following a split is a terrible idea. Experts frequently claim such arrangements prevent individuals from healing, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and become annoying for all parties. As it turns out, in a revelation fit for a streaming movie, it can even cause the dogs themselves to become depressed.
While respecting the inner life of our pets – pet parents observe their profound sensitivity. For a standout portrayal in canine melancholy, one need only look another performance. I firmly believe that a dog such as Merv, a spirited little dog played by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time coping with divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on such a setup works effectively seems debatable at best.Predictable Foundations
Fairness demands noting, Merv, written by its screenwriters and directed by director Swale, makes no grand claims more profound than a light film. This is a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the complexity remains surface-level. Its storyline unfolds as straightforward: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look carries the feel of a streaming service original, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – as seen in fake snow surrounding green trees as a summer location substitutes for a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these predictable parts coalesce into an entertaining watch depends on the strength of the performances and an acceptance of easy entertainment. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – individuals who browse regularly for cute animal clips. The film delivers a wealth of adorable dog montages. The primary selling point is Merv himself, and though it results in some stilted moments between animal action and people's faces, the movie delivers on walking sequences, dog depression, and, in the end, doggie joy.
Where It Wobbles
The same praise does not extend for the human side of the story. The film's approach vacillates between relationship drama, broad humor, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a consistent feel. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is fully game the silliness and cringe required by the unusual premise. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, brings a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. Her Anna seems a bit too dry, particularly when paired with Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (It should be noted, Gus the Dog is convincing at flopping and whining – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still a very good boy.)
The story strives to provide depth to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, considering Merv is by far the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The catalyst for their original breakup could have been more adult and realistic with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, fulfilling every expected note. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise has potential – even if I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.
