This is a widely held belief among many that sharing custody a dog following a split is a terrible idea. Most will argue such arrangements prevent individuals from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating for all parties. As it turns out, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it also makes our furry friends to become depressed.
Not to downplay the mental health of animals – pet parents speak of their remarkable empathy. If you need prime example in dog sorrow, simply recall another performance. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type played by the canine actor Gus, would struggle adjusting to divided living arrangements. Whether this premise an entire Christmas romance on this conflict works effectively seems debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, the work of Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than what it is. We have here a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the complexity are modest. Its storyline is destined to be uncomplicated: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their post-breakup gloom is surpassed by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they belong with each other. The supporting cast – played by familiar faces – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look has the quality of a streaming service original, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – as seen in fake snow surrounding lush pines as a warm climate substitutes for a wintery Boston.
Where the Film Shines
Whether these standard ingredients merge into a pleasant experience hinges on the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for comfort viewing. Regarding the second aspect, Merv knows its audience – those people who browse regularly for pet content. The film delivers a series of adorable dog montages. The central draw is Merv himself, and even if it causes some awkward editing between animal action and people's faces, the movie does offer walking sequences, dog depression, and, ultimately, a tail-wagging resolution.
Where It Wobbles
The same praise does not extend for the human side of the story. Its style shifts uneasily between relationship drama, broad humor, formulaic romance, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to any one mode. This is not Charlie Cox, who is fully game the silliness and cringe required by the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that supplies the bulk of the chemistry for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. Her portrayal comes across as a touch too detached, especially when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, Merv himself manages looking despondent – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely a very good boy.)
The film attempts to add substance to Anna and Russ's relationship for moments when the dog is absent – which is unfortunate, 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 would feel more adult and realistic with less exposition and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting is not terrible – but it's not exactly a brilliant concept.
- Merv premieres on Prime Video on December 10th.
