It is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that co-parenting a canine companion following a split is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such setups impede individuals from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and become annoying for everyone involved. Apparently, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it can even cause the canine in question to become depressed.
Not to downplay the inner life of animals – many owners attest to their profound sensitivity. If you need prime example in pet despair, consider another performance. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult adapting to split households. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance around this situation holds water seems rather doubtful.Standard Holiday Fare
Honestly, Merv, the work of the writing duo and directed by director Swale, never aspires to be more profound than its premise. This is a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the complexity is limited. The plot is destined to be simple and direct: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is matched by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will presumably realize the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – fulfill roles eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – think fake snow clinging to green trees as a summer location doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these standard ingredients come together into something enjoyable rests upon the execution and the viewer's appetite for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. The film delivers a wealth of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is Merv himself, and while this leads to some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and human reaction, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, dog depression, and, finally, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise does not extend for the interpersonal drama. Its style vacillates between emotional depth, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and silly gags, never fully committing to a consistent feel. This is not Cox's performance, who is willing to embrace the absurd and awkward demanded of the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that supplies a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, brings a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna seems a bit too dry, notably when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, the canine performer succeeds in flopping and whining – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he is still a scene-stealer.)
The film attempts to give weight to Anna and Russ's relationship for moments when the dog is absent – a regrettable choice, considering the dog is easily the cutest element of this film designed for charm. As one might predict, it achieves only baseline competence. The catalyst for the split would feel more nuanced with more screen time and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is gentle and pleasant, meeting every expected note. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting isn't a bad idea – though I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.
- Merv premieres on Prime Video this December.
