This is a common warning in certain circles that jointly caring for a canine companion post-separation is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such situations hinder individuals from finding closure, create logistical nightmares, spark arguments, and become annoying for all parties. Apparently, as a development fit for a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to feel down.
Not to downplay the inner life of our pets – many owners speak of their profound sensitivity. If you need prime example in pet despair, one need only look a past film. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by Gus the Dog, would struggle adapting to split households. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance on such a setup is sustainable remains debatable at best.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, the work of Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than its premise. We have here a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions remains surface-level. The narrative unfolds as simple and direct: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will presumably stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – featuring familiar faces – are crafted as the usual assortment of types. Its aesthetic carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – as seen in flurries surrounding verdant foliage as a warm climate substitutes for a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these familiar elements merge into a pleasant experience rests upon the actors' work and one's taste for easy entertainment. Regarding the second aspect, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who seek out for dog videos. It provides a plethora of scenes focused on the pet. The primary selling point is Merv himself, and even if it causes some stilted moments between what the dog does and the actors' responses, the movie does offer dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success is not earned for the human side of the story. The tone wavers between emotional depth, zany antics, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, never fully committing to a single genre. No blame falls on Charlie Cox, who is fully game the absurd and awkward required by the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a endearing lack of ego that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Zooey Deschanel, in her typical fashion, imparts a distinctive offbeat energy that will click for some but not others. Her Anna comes across as a touch too detached, notably when contrasted against Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, the canine performer manages looking despondent – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still an excellent dog.)
The story strives to give weight to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, given that the dog is easily the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The catalyst for the split could have been more adult and realistic with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, meeting every expected note. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting is not terrible – even if I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video this December.
