It is a widely held belief among many that co-parenting a canine companion post-separation is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such situations hinder individuals from healing, create logistical nightmares, spark arguments, and are a nuisance across the board. Seemingly, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it can even cause the canine in question to experience sadness.
Not to downplay the inner life of our pets – pet parents speak of their deep emotional capacity. To witness a standout portrayal in pet despair, one need only look recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult coping with divided living arrangements. If this concept a full holiday film on this conflict holds water seems debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and helmed by Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims more profound than its premise. This is a seasonal offering from a streaming platform giant – the depth are modest. The plot proves to be uncomplicated: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their own sadness is rivaled only by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will presumably stumble toward the idea that they belong with each other. Ensemble players – including Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as the usual assortment of types. Its aesthetic has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is clearly manufactured – think fake snow piled on lush pines as North Carolina substitutes for a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these predictable parts coalesce into a pleasant experience rests upon the strength of the performances and one's taste for comfort viewing. Regarding the second aspect, Merv targets a specific viewer – individuals who browse regularly for cute animal clips. Audiences receive a wealth of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the canine star, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie does offer canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, ultimately, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success is not earned for the interpersonal drama. The tone wavers between relationship drama, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, not quite landing any one mode. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the silliness and cringe inherent in the unusual premise. His performance contains a charming humility that provides the bulk of the chemistry for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, true to her usual style, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will either resonate with viewers. Her Anna seems a bit too dry, notably when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, the canine performer manages acting depressed – while no the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still a very good boy.)
The story strives to add substance to the central romance for moments when the dog is absent – which is unfortunate, given that the title character is easily the best part of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for the split might seem more nuanced with greater exploration and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling every expected note. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting isn't a bad idea – even if it's hardly a great one either.
- Merv premieres on the Amazon platform this December.
