It is a common warning in certain circles that co-parenting a dog post-separation is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such arrangements impede former couples from finding closure, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and become annoying across the board. Apparently, in a revelation fit for a streaming movie, it can even cause the canine in question to become depressed.
Without minimizing the mental health of dogs – pet parents attest to their remarkable empathy. If you need standout portrayal in canine melancholy, consider recent cinema. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, a spirited little dog played by the canine actor Gus, would struggle adapting to life in two homes. If this concept an entire Christmas romance on this conflict works effectively remains rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
Honestly, Merv, the work of Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and under the guidance of playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than its premise. This is a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the depth is limited. The plot unfolds as uncomplicated: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their own sadness is surpassed by their dog's, decide on a therapeutic trip to a dog-friendly resort. Once there, as expected, they will surely rediscover the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as the usual assortment of types. The film's look has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – as seen in fake snow piled on lush pines as a warm climate doubles as the Northeast.
The Dog's Domain
How these predictable parts merge into something enjoyable hinges on the actors' work and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who scroll endlessly for pet content. It provides a series of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is the dog, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie does offer walking sequences, pet moping, and, finally, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
Such effectiveness cannot be applied for the human side of the story. Its style shifts uneasily between serious study, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a single genre. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is fully game the absurd and awkward demanded of the bizarre setting. He brings a endearing lack of ego that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Zooey Deschanel, true to her usual style, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. The character comes across as a little too aloof, especially when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (It should be noted, Gus the Dog manages acting depressed – he may not be Messi from that acclaimed drama, he is still a scene-stealer.)
The film attempts to provide depth to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, considering the title character is by far the best part of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The cause for the split could have been more adult and realistic with less exposition and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting all its marks. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise has potential – even if I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.
- Merv streams on the Amazon platform on December 10th.
