It is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that co-parenting a pet post-separation is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such arrangements hinder former couples from healing, create logistical nightmares, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating across the board. Seemingly, and in a twist fit for a direct-to-platform film, it also makes the canine in question to feel down.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of our pets – many owners observe their profound sensitivity. If you need standout portrayal in pet despair, one need only look recent cinema. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type played by the canine actor Gus, would struggle coping with divided living arrangements. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance on this conflict holds water seems debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
Fairness demands noting, Merv, crafted by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by director Swale, never aspires to be deeper than a light film. This is a seasonal offering from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth are modest. The plot unfolds as straightforward: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they are better together. The supporting cast – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – fulfill roles eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a wintry atmosphere that is visibly contrived – as seen in obvious snow effects surrounding lush pines as North Carolina stands in for a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
If these standard ingredients coalesce into something enjoyable hinges on the execution and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. Regarding the second aspect, Merv hones in on a demographic – individuals who seek out for dog videos. The film delivers a plethora of scenes focused on the pet. The primary selling point is Merv himself, and while this leads to some awkward editing between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie does offer canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise does not extend for the human side of the story. Its style shifts uneasily between emotional depth, zany antics, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, failing to master any one mode. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is willing to embrace the humiliating and funny demanded of the dog resort scenario. He brings a endearing lack of ego that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this seemingly ideal couple. Zooey Deschanel, true to her usual style, brings a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna comes across as a bit too dry, especially when contrasted against Cox's vulnerable performance. (On another note, Gus the Dog manages flopping and whining – while no the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains an excellent dog.)
The story strives to add substance to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, considering the title character is by far the cutest element of this film designed for charm. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The cause for their separation might seem more adult and realistic with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Crafting a story about dog co-parenting has potential – even if I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv becomes available on Prime Video on December 10th.
