It is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that jointly caring for a dog following a split is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such arrangements prevent individuals from finding closure, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and prove frustrating across the board. Seemingly, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it also makes our furry friends to become depressed.
While respecting the emotional well-being of animals – countless people attest to their remarkable empathy. If you need standout portrayal in dog sorrow, one need only look recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type played by Gus the Dog, would find it difficult coping with split households. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance on such a setup holds water seems a questionable prospect.A Familiar Formula
Honestly, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and directed by Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims more profound than what it is. This is a Christmas movie from a corporate studio – the complexity remains surface-level. The narrative unfolds as straightforward: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, decide on a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly rediscover the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – including a group of comedic actors – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Visually is reminiscent of a branded content, with a wintry atmosphere that is visibly contrived – think flurries clinging to verdant foliage as a warm climate substitutes for the Northeast.
The Dog's Domain
Whether these standard ingredients merge into an entertaining watch hinges on the actors' work and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who seek out for pet content. The film delivers a wealth of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is the canine star, and though it results in some stilted moments between animal action and human reaction, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, ultimately, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise is not earned for the romantic plot. The tone wavers between emotional depth, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, failing to master any one mode. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the silliness and cringe inherent in the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a charming humility that offers much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, in her typical fashion, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will click for some but not others. Her Anna can feel a touch too detached, especially when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog succeeds in acting depressed – while no Messi from that acclaimed drama, he is still a scene-stealer.)
The film attempts to add substance to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, given that the dog is by far the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for their original breakup might seem more adult and realistic with more screen time and fewer direct statements. Ultimately, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling every expected note. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – but I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv streams on the Amazon platform this December.
