This is a widely held belief among many that jointly caring for a canine companion after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. Most will argue such situations impede ex-partners from finding closure, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. As it turns out, in a revelation fit for a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to our furry friends to become depressed.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of dogs – countless people observe their deep emotional capacity. To witness a prime example in canine melancholy, one need only look a past film. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a spirited little dog portrayed by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adapting to split households. The idea of basing a full holiday film around this situation is sustainable seems rather doubtful.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by director Swale, never aspires to be anything more than its premise. This is a seasonal offering from a streaming platform giant – the depth remains surface-level. Its storyline is destined to be uncomplicated: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will presumably realize the idea that they belong with each other. Side characters – including familiar faces – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look carries the feel of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – exemplified by fake snow piled on lush pines as North Carolina doubles as a cold December city.
The Canine Charisma
If these standard ingredients merge into something enjoyable rests upon the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv knows its audience – individuals who browse regularly for pet content. Audiences receive a series of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the canine star, and even if it causes some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie does offer dog beach fun, pet moping, and, finally, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
Such effectiveness does not extend for the interpersonal drama. Its style shifts uneasily between serious study, broad humor, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, not quite landing any one mode. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is willing to embrace the humiliating and funny inherent in the bizarre setting. He brings a likable self-deprecation that supplies the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Her co-star Deschanel, in her typical fashion, brings a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna comes across as a touch too detached, notably when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (It should be noted, Gus the Dog manages flopping and whining – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still a very good boy.)
The film attempts to provide depth to Anna and Russ's relationship for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, considering Merv is undoubtedly the most adorable aspect of this film designed for charm. As one might predict, it achieves only baseline competence. The catalyst for the split might seem more nuanced with more screen time and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, fulfilling every expected note. Crafting a story about dog co-parenting is not terrible – even if it's hardly a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video this December.
