It is a common warning in certain circles that jointly caring for a pet following a split is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such arrangements hinder ex-partners from moving forward, create logistical nightmares, spark arguments, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. Seemingly, as a development worthy of a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to feel down.
Without minimizing the mental health of dogs – countless people observe their profound sensitivity. If you need standout portrayal in dog sorrow, 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 find it difficult coping with split households. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom around this situation is sustainable is rather doubtful.Standard Holiday Fare
Fairness demands noting, Merv, written by its screenwriters and helmed by Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be more profound than its premise. This is a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the depth is limited. The narrative is destined to be simple and direct: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their post-breakup gloom is matched by their dog's, decide on a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will presumably stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – featuring a group of comedic actors – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look has the quality of a branded content, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – exemplified by fake snow piled on lush pines as a summer location stands in for a cold December city.
Where the Film Shines
If these familiar elements merge into an entertaining watch depends on the strength of the performances and one's taste for easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv hones in on a demographic – the kind who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. Audiences receive a series of scenes focused on the pet. The primary selling point is the dog, and even if it causes some awkward editing between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, dog depression, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
The Human Element
The same praise cannot be applied for the human side of the story. The tone wavers between relationship drama, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, never fully committing to any one mode. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is admirably committed the silliness and cringe demanded of the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. Her portrayal comes across as a touch too detached, notably when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, Merv himself succeeds in flopping and whining – while no a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely a scene-stealer.)
The story strives to give weight to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – a bit of a pity, since the title character is undoubtedly the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The reason for their separation might seem more adult and realistic with less exposition and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting every expected note. Creating a movie with this canine conflict has potential – even if I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv streams on the Amazon platform on December 10th.
