It is a widely held belief among many that jointly caring for a pet after a breakup is a terrible idea. Experts frequently claim such setups prevent individuals from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. Seemingly, as a development suited to a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause the dogs themselves to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of dogs – many owners speak of their deep emotional capacity. To witness a prime example in dog sorrow, simply recall a past film. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would struggle coping with split households. The idea of basing a full holiday film around this situation works effectively seems rather doubtful.Standard Holiday Fare
Fairness demands noting, Merv, crafted by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than its premise. We have here a Christmas movie from a corporate studio – the complexity is limited. Its storyline proves to be simple and direct: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their post-breakup gloom is matched by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. Once there, as expected, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. The supporting cast – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually is reminiscent of a streaming service original, with a wintry atmosphere that is obviously artificial – as seen in flurries surrounding verdant foliage as a summer location doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
Whether these familiar elements come together into an entertaining watch rests upon the actors' work and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. Regarding the second aspect, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who browse regularly for dog videos. The film delivers a series of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is the canine star, and even if it causes some awkward editing between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie delivers on canine party antics, dog depression, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
Such effectiveness is not earned for the interpersonal drama. The tone shifts uneasily between serious study, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a single genre. The fault lies not with Charlie Cox, who is fully game the silliness and cringe inherent in the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a likable self-deprecation that offers much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, in her typical fashion, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. Her portrayal comes across as a bit too dry, particularly when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (It should be noted, the canine performer is convincing at flopping and whining – while no a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains a very good boy.)
Merv tries to give weight to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, considering the title character is undoubtedly the most adorable aspect of this film designed for charm. As one might predict, it achieves only baseline competence. The catalyst for their original breakup could have been more nuanced with more screen time and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, hitting all its marks. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting is not terrible – though it's not exactly a brilliant concept.
- Merv becomes available on the Amazon platform this December.
