It is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that co-parenting a dog after a breakup is a terrible idea. Most will argue such arrangements impede former couples from healing, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and prove frustrating across the board. As it turns out, and in a twist suited to a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the inner life of animals – countless people observe their remarkable empathy. If you need prime example in pet despair, one need only look another performance. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by the canine actor Gus, would struggle coping with split households. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance on such a setup holds water is debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
Honestly, Merv, written by its screenwriters and under the guidance of playwright Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than a light film. It functions as a seasonal offering from a streaming platform giant – the depth are modest. The plot is destined to be uncomplicated: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is matched by their dog's, decide on a uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – including familiar faces – are crafted as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – exemplified by fake snow surrounding lush pines as a warm climate substitutes for the Northeast.
The Dog's Domain
If these predictable parts merge into something enjoyable depends on the strength of the performances and an acceptance of easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – individuals who scroll endlessly for pet content. Audiences receive a series of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is Merv himself, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between what the dog does and the actors' responses, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, pet moping, and, finally, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success is not earned for the human side of the story. Its style shifts uneasily between relationship drama, broad humor, predictable love story, and silly gags, never fully committing to any one mode. This is not Charlie Cox, who is willing to embrace the silliness and cringe required by the bizarre setting. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that provides much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, true to her usual style, brings a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. Her Anna comes across as a bit too dry, notably when paired with Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog succeeds in looking despondent – he may not be the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains a scene-stealer.)
The story strives to give weight to the central romance for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, given that the dog is undoubtedly the best part of this feel-good picture. As one might predict, it achieves only baseline competence. The catalyst for the split would feel more nuanced with less exposition and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is gentle and pleasant, meeting every expected note. Making a film about dog co-parenting has potential – though it's not exactly a great one either.
- Merv premieres on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.
