This is a common warning in certain circles that jointly caring for a dog after a breakup is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such situations hinder former couples from finding closure, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and become annoying for everyone involved. As it turns out, and in a twist suited to a streaming movie, it also makes the canine in question to become depressed.
Not to downplay the emotional well-being of our pets – many owners speak of their remarkable empathy. If you need prime example in dog sorrow, one need only look another performance. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a spirited little dog played by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time adapting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a full holiday film on such a setup is sustainable seems a questionable prospect.Standard Holiday Fare
Honestly, Merv, the work of Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than its premise. We have here a seasonal offering from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the ambitions is limited. The plot is destined to be simple and direct: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their own sadness is surpassed by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a dog-friendly resort. Once there, as expected, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – featuring a group of comedic actors – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – as seen in obvious snow effects surrounding green trees as a summer location doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
How these standard ingredients merge into something enjoyable rests upon the strength of the performances and an acceptance of comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who browse regularly for cute animal clips. It provides a plethora of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is the dog, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between what the dog does and the actors' responses, the movie does offer dog beach fun, dog depression, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
The Human Element
This level of success is not earned for the interpersonal drama. The tone shifts uneasily between serious study, broad humor, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, not quite landing a consistent feel. This is not Cox's performance, who is willing to embrace the humiliating and funny required by the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a endearing lack of ego that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, brings a particular brand of eccentricity that will click for some but not others. The character can feel a little too aloof, especially when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (It should be noted, Merv himself succeeds in acting depressed – he may not be Messi from that acclaimed drama, he is still an excellent dog.)
The film attempts to give weight to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, since Merv is by far the cutest element of this film designed for charm. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for their separation could have been more grounded and mature with less exposition and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling every expected note. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting is not terrible – though it's not exactly a brilliant concept.
- Merv streams on the Amazon platform this December.
