It is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that jointly caring for a canine companion following a split is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such situations hinder ex-partners from finding closure, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. Seemingly, and in a twist worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to experience sadness.
Not to downplay the mental health of dogs – many owners speak of their remarkable empathy. If you need prime example in pet despair, consider another performance. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type played by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time adapting to divided living arrangements. If this concept an entire Christmas romance on such a setup is sustainable remains a questionable prospect.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, the work of the writing duo and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than what it is. We have here a seasonal offering from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions remains surface-level. The narrative is destined to be uncomplicated: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a therapeutic trip to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will presumably rediscover the idea that they are better together. Side characters – featuring familiar faces – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – think fake snow piled on lush pines as a warm climate substitutes for the Northeast.
The Canine Charisma
If these predictable parts merge into a pleasant experience hinges on the strength of the performances and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. Regarding the second aspect, Merv knows its audience – the kind who browse regularly for pet content. Audiences receive a plethora of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the canine star, and even if it causes some stilted moments between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, pet moping, and, ultimately, doggie joy.
Where It Wobbles
Such effectiveness cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. The tone vacillates between relationship drama, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, never fully committing to any one mode. The fault lies not with Charlie Cox, who is fully game the humiliating and funny inherent in the bizarre setting. His performance contains a charming humility that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, brings a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna seems a little too aloof, notably when contrasted against Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog succeeds in looking despondent – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he is still an excellent dog.)
Merv tries to provide depth to the central romance for moments when the dog is absent – which is unfortunate, given that the dog is undoubtedly the best part of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for their original breakup could have been more grounded and mature with less exposition and fewer direct statements. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, hitting every expected note. Making a film on this shared-custody premise has potential – though it's hardly a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on the Amazon platform on December 10th.
