It is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that sharing custody a canine companion post-separation is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such situations prevent individuals from healing, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. As it turns out, in a revelation suited to a streaming movie, it also makes the dogs themselves to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the inner life of our pets – pet parents observe their deep emotional capacity. For a prime example in pet despair, consider recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix played by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time adapting to life in two homes. The idea of basing a full holiday film on this conflict is sustainable seems debatable at best.Predictable Foundations
Honestly, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and under the guidance of playwright Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims more profound than a light film. We have here a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions is limited. The narrative is destined to be simple and direct: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will presumably rediscover the idea that they belong with each other. Side characters – including familiar faces – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a wintry atmosphere that is visibly contrived – think flurries surrounding lush pines as a warm climate stands in for the Northeast.
The Canine Charisma
If these predictable parts come together into something enjoyable depends on the execution and one's taste for easy entertainment. Regarding the second aspect, Merv hones in on a demographic – individuals who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. It provides a wealth of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is the dog, and though it results in some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and human reaction, the movie does offer walking sequences, canine sorrow, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise is not earned for the romantic plot. Its style vacillates between emotional depth, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and silly gags, never fully committing to a single genre. This is not Cox's performance, who is fully game the absurd and awkward required by the bizarre setting. He brings a charming humility that provides the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Her co-star Deschanel, in her typical fashion, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will either resonate with viewers. Her Anna can feel a bit too dry, especially when alongside Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, the canine performer manages looking despondent – while no a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains a very good boy.)
The film attempts to add substance to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – a bit of a pity, given that the dog is easily the cutest element of this feel-good picture. As one might predict, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for their separation might seem more grounded and mature with more screen time and fewer direct statements. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, hitting every expected note. Making a film with this canine conflict is not terrible – even if it's not exactly a great one either.
- Merv streams on the Amazon platform starting December 10.
