This is a common warning among many that jointly caring for a canine companion following a split is a recipe for trouble. Experts frequently claim such setups prevent individuals from finding closure, create logistical nightmares, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. As it turns out, as a development worthy of a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to our furry friends to become depressed.
Not to downplay the emotional well-being of animals – many owners speak of their remarkable empathy. If you need masterclass in pet despair, consider recent cinema. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix played by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time coping with life in two homes. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom around this situation holds water seems a questionable prospect.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than a light film. This is a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the ambitions is limited. Its storyline proves to be straightforward: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, decide on a therapeutic trip to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they belong with each other. Side characters – featuring a group of comedic actors – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a wintry atmosphere that is obviously artificial – exemplified by fake snow clinging to lush pines as North Carolina doubles as the Northeast.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these predictable parts merge into a pleasant experience depends on the actors' work and an acceptance of comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who seek out for dog videos. Audiences receive a series of scenes focused on the pet. The primary selling point is the canine star, and while this leads to some stilted moments between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie does offer canine party antics, dog depression, and, ultimately, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Two-Legged Cast
Such effectiveness cannot be applied for the human side of the story. The film's approach shifts uneasily between relationship drama, broad humor, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, not quite landing any one mode. This is not Cox's performance, who is fully game the humiliating and funny inherent in the unusual premise. He brings a endearing lack of ego that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, in her typical fashion, brings a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal seems a touch too detached, especially when contrasted against Cox's vulnerable performance. (On another note, Merv himself is convincing at acting depressed – he may not be Messi from that acclaimed drama, he remains a scene-stealer.)
The story strives to give weight to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – a bit of a pity, given that the dog is by far the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The catalyst for their separation could have been more adult and realistic with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting all its marks. Making a film with this canine conflict is not terrible – though it's not exactly a stroke of genius.
- Merv premieres on the Amazon platform this December.
