This is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that co-parenting a dog following a split is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such situations impede former couples from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and become annoying for everyone involved. Apparently, in a revelation worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause the dogs themselves to feel down.
While respecting the inner life of animals – many owners attest to their remarkable empathy. To witness a standout portrayal in dog sorrow, consider a past film. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix played by Gus the Dog, would struggle adapting to split households. If this concept an entire Christmas romance on such a setup holds water is rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
Fairness demands noting, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by playwright Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be anything more than its premise. This is a seasonal offering from a streaming platform giant – the depth is limited. Its storyline proves to be simple and direct: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will presumably rediscover the idea that they are better together. Side characters – played by a group of comedic actors – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a wintry atmosphere that is clearly manufactured – think flurries clinging to lush pines as North Carolina stands in for a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
How these familiar elements come together into something enjoyable rests upon the strength of the performances and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – the kind who seek out for dog videos. Audiences receive a series of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is the canine star, and though it results in some clunky cuts between the pet's "lines" and human reaction, the movie does offer canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, in the end, a tail-wagging resolution.
Where It Wobbles
Such effectiveness cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. Its style vacillates between emotional depth, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and silly gags, not quite landing any one mode. No blame falls on the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the silliness and cringe required by the unusual premise. He brings a likable self-deprecation that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this seemingly ideal couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, brings a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna seems a little too aloof, especially when paired with Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog manages flopping and whining – he may not be the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still a very good boy.)
The story strives to give weight to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – a bit of a pity, since the title character is undoubtedly the cutest element of this film designed for charm. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for their original breakup could have been more adult and realistic with greater exploration and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, meeting all its marks. Creating a movie with this canine conflict has potential – even if I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv streams on the Amazon platform this December.
