This is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that jointly caring for a dog after a breakup is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such arrangements hinder individuals from finding closure, create logistical nightmares, spark arguments, and are a nuisance for all parties. Apparently, in a revelation fit for a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to become depressed.
While respecting the mental health of our pets – pet parents speak of their deep emotional capacity. To witness a standout portrayal in dog sorrow, one need only look recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would struggle adapting to split households. If this concept an entire Christmas romance on such a setup holds water remains rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, written by its screenwriters and directed by playwright Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than what it is. This is a holiday release from a corporate studio – the depth remains surface-level. Its storyline unfolds as simple and direct: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their post-breakup gloom is matched by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will presumably rediscover the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – think obvious snow effects clinging to green trees as North Carolina substitutes for a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
How these familiar elements coalesce into something enjoyable depends on the execution and an acceptance of easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv hones in on a demographic – the kind who browse regularly for pet content. Audiences receive a series of canine-centric sequences. The central draw is Merv himself, and even if it causes some awkward editing between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing walking sequences, dog depression, and, ultimately, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise does not extend for the human side of the story. The film's approach wavers between emotional depth, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, failing to master a consistent feel. The fault lies not with Charlie Cox, who is willing to embrace the absurd and awkward required by the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that offers much of the film's charm for this seemingly ideal couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will click for some but not others. Her Anna comes across as a little too aloof, especially when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog manages flopping and whining – while no Messi from that acclaimed drama, he remains a very good boy.)
The film attempts to add substance to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, since Merv is easily the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for their original breakup might seem more grounded and mature with more screen time and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – though it's hardly a great one either.
- Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.
