This is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that co-parenting a dog post-separation is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such arrangements impede former couples from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. As it turns out, and in a twist worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it also makes our furry friends to experience sadness.
While respecting the mental health of dogs – countless people observe their remarkable empathy. To witness a masterclass in pet despair, simply recall a past film. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time adjusting to life in two homes. Whether this premise an entire Christmas romance on this conflict is sustainable is debatable at best.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than its premise. It functions as a Christmas movie from a corporate studio – the depth is limited. The plot is destined to be uncomplicated: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their post-breakup gloom is matched by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will surely rediscover the idea that they should reunite. The supporting cast – featuring familiar faces – are crafted as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Its aesthetic carries the feel of a streaming service original, with a wintry atmosphere that is clearly manufactured – as seen in fake snow surrounding green trees as North Carolina doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
If these standard ingredients merge into something enjoyable hinges on the execution and one's taste for comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who browse regularly for cute animal clips. It provides a wealth of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is the dog, and even if it causes some awkward editing between animal action and the actors' responses, the movie does offer dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
Such effectiveness cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. The film's approach vacillates between emotional depth, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and silly gags, never fully committing to any one mode. The fault lies not with Charlie Cox, who is willing to embrace the silliness and cringe inherent in the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a charming humility that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, brings a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. The character seems a little too aloof, particularly when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, the canine performer is convincing at flopping and whining – he may not be the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still a very good boy.)
Merv tries to give weight to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – a bit of a pity, considering the title character is by far the most adorable aspect of this film designed for charm. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for the split could have been more nuanced with more screen time and fewer direct statements. Ultimately, Merv is light and sugary, hitting all its marks. Crafting a story about dog co-parenting is not terrible – even if it's hardly a brilliant concept.
- Merv premieres on Amazon Prime Video this December.
