This is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that jointly caring for a pet after a breakup is a terrible idea. Experts frequently claim such arrangements hinder former couples from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. Apparently, in a revelation suited to a streaming movie, it also makes the dogs themselves to feel down.
While respecting the emotional well-being of animals – countless people speak of their deep emotional capacity. To witness a standout portrayal in dog sorrow, simply recall recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix played by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time adjusting to split households. If this concept an entire Christmas romance on this conflict works effectively seems debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, written by its screenwriters and directed by playwright Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than its premise. This is a seasonal offering from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions remains surface-level. The plot unfolds as simple and direct: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they belong with each other. Ensemble players – played by a group of comedic actors – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic has the quality of a branded content, with a wintry atmosphere that is visibly contrived – exemplified by flurries piled on lush pines as a summer location doubles as a wintery Boston.
Where the Film Shines
How these familiar elements merge into a pleasant experience hinges on the execution and an acceptance of easy entertainment. Regarding the second aspect, Merv knows its audience – the kind who browse regularly for pet content. The film delivers a wealth of adorable dog montages. The primary selling point is the dog, and while this leads to some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, finally, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Two-Legged Cast
Such effectiveness is not earned for the human side of the story. The tone wavers between serious study, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a single genre. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is fully game the humiliating and funny required by the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a charming humility that provides the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. The character comes across as a touch too detached, especially when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog is convincing at acting depressed – he may not be the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains a scene-stealer.)
The film attempts to give weight to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – 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 catalyst for their original breakup might seem more adult and realistic with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is gentle and pleasant, hitting all its marks. Creating a movie with this canine conflict is not terrible – but I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on the Amazon platform this December.
