This is a common warning in certain circles that jointly caring for a dog following a split is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such situations impede ex-partners from healing, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and become annoying for everyone involved. Apparently, as a development suited to a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to our furry friends to feel down.
While respecting the inner life of our pets – pet parents speak of their profound sensitivity. To witness a prime example in pet despair, one need only look recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix played by a talented dog named Gus, would have a hard time adjusting to split households. Whether this premise an entire Christmas romance on this conflict is sustainable is a questionable prospect.Standard Holiday Fare
Honestly, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than a light film. This is a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions are modest. The plot proves to be straightforward: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their post-breakup gloom is surpassed by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – played by familiar faces – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – as seen in fake snow surrounding lush pines as North Carolina doubles as a cold December city.
The Canine Charisma
How these familiar elements come together into a pleasant experience rests upon the actors' work and one's taste for easy entertainment. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – individuals who browse regularly for cute animal clips. It provides a wealth of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is the canine star, and though it results in some awkward editing between what the dog does and people's faces, the movie does offer canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.
The Human Element
This level of success is not earned for the human side of the story. Its style shifts uneasily between relationship drama, zany antics, formulaic romance, and silly gags, never fully committing to any one mode. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the humiliating and funny required by the bizarre setting. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that supplies much of the film's charm for this ostensibly perfect couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, brings a certain millennial quirkiness that will either resonate with viewers. Her portrayal comes across as a bit too dry, notably when paired with Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, Gus the Dog is convincing at acting depressed – he may not be Messi from that acclaimed drama, he is still a very good boy.)
Merv tries to add substance to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, since Merv is easily the best part of this feel-good picture. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The cause for their original breakup could have been more grounded and mature with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is gentle and pleasant, fulfilling all its marks. Creating a movie with this canine conflict isn't a bad idea – though it's not exactly a great one either.
- Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video this December.
