It is a common warning for numerous people that sharing custody a canine companion after a breakup is ill-advised. Most will argue such arrangements impede ex-partners from finding closure, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and become annoying for all parties. Apparently, as a development worthy of a streaming movie, it also makes the dogs themselves to become depressed.
While respecting the emotional well-being of dogs – countless people attest to their profound sensitivity. If you need prime example in pet despair, one need only look a past film. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adapting to split households. Whether this premise an entire Christmas romance on this conflict works effectively seems a questionable prospect.Standard Holiday Fare
Fairness demands noting, Merv, written by the writing duo and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than what it is. It functions as a seasonal offering from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity are modest. The narrative unfolds as simple and direct: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they belong with each other. Side characters – including familiar faces – 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 – think flurries piled on green trees as a warm climate substitutes for a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
If these familiar elements come together into something enjoyable rests upon the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who browse regularly for dog videos. It provides a series of canine-centric sequences. The primary selling point is the canine star, and while this leads to some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, dog depression, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. The film's approach vacillates between emotional depth, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, never fully committing to a consistent feel. No blame falls on Charlie Cox, who is admirably committed the absurd and awkward required by the bizarre setting. He brings a charming humility that supplies a significant portion of the appeal for this seemingly ideal couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will either resonate with viewers. The character comes across as a bit too dry, notably when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (It should be noted, the canine performer succeeds in looking despondent – while no the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains a very good boy.)
Merv tries to add substance to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, given that the dog is undoubtedly the best part of this film designed for charm. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The cause for the split could have been more nuanced with less exposition and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, fulfilling all its marks. Making a film with this canine conflict is not terrible – but I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv premieres on the Amazon platform starting December 10.
