It is a common warning in certain circles that co-parenting a dog post-separation is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such setups prevent individuals from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and are a nuisance across the board. As it turns out, as a development suited to a direct-to-platform film, it also makes the dogs themselves to experience sadness.
While respecting the inner life of our pets – many owners speak of their remarkable empathy. For a prime example in dog sorrow, consider a past film. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle coping with divided living arrangements. If this concept an entire Christmas romance on such a setup works effectively is debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and helmed by director Swale, doesn't pretend to be anything more than its premise. We have here a seasonal offering from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth is limited. Its storyline proves to be simple and direct: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their post-breakup gloom is surpassed by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will surely rediscover the idea that they should reunite. The supporting cast – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is clearly manufactured – think flurries piled on verdant foliage as a summer location substitutes for the Northeast.
The Dog's Domain
Whether these standard ingredients merge into something enjoyable rests upon the strength of the performances and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who browse regularly for dog videos. Audiences receive a series of canine-centric sequences. The central draw is Merv himself, and though it results in some awkward editing between animal action and people's faces, the movie delivers on canine party antics, pet moping, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. The tone shifts uneasily between relationship drama, broad humor, formulaic romance, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a single genre. No blame falls on the actor playing Russ, who is admirably committed the absurd and awkward inherent in the bizarre setting. He brings a endearing lack of ego that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna seems a bit too dry, notably when alongside Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, the canine performer succeeds in looking despondent – while no the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains a very good boy.)
Merv tries to give weight to the central romance for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, since Merv is by far the best part of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The catalyst for their original breakup could have been more adult and realistic with less exposition and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Making a film about dog co-parenting has potential – even if it's not exactly a brilliant concept.
- Merv becomes available on Prime Video on December 10th.
