This is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that co-parenting a canine companion after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. Most will argue such arrangements prevent former couples from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating for all parties. Seemingly, and in a twist worthy of a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to become depressed.
While respecting the mental health of animals – many owners speak of their deep emotional capacity. If you need standout portrayal in pet despair, one need only look a past film. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time adapting to split households. Whether this premise an entire Christmas romance around this situation works effectively seems a questionable prospect.Predictable Foundations
Fairness demands noting, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be more profound than a light film. This is a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the complexity are modest. The plot is destined to be uncomplicated: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – featuring familiar faces – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look has the quality of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – think flurries piled on verdant foliage as a warm climate substitutes for the Northeast.
Where the Film Shines
If these predictable parts merge into a pleasant experience hinges on the execution 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 plethora of canine-centric sequences. The primary selling point is the dog, and though it results in some awkward editing between animal action and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing walking sequences, dog depression, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise is not earned for the human side of the story. The film's approach shifts uneasily between emotional depth, wacky comedy, formulaic romance, and silly gags, not quite landing a single genre. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the humiliating and funny required by the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a charming humility that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this seemingly ideal couple. Zooey Deschanel, in her typical fashion, brings a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal seems a little too aloof, notably when paired with Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, the canine performer succeeds in acting depressed – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he remains a scene-stealer.)
The story strives to add substance to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, considering Merv is by far the most adorable aspect of this feel-good picture. Unsurprisingly, it meets the bare minimum. The catalyst for their original breakup would feel more nuanced with greater exploration and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – though it's not exactly a great one either.
- Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video this December.
