This is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that co-parenting a canine companion post-separation is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such situations impede former couples from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating for all parties. As it turns out, as a development suited to a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to feel down.
Not to downplay the mental health of dogs – many owners attest to their profound sensitivity. To witness a prime example in pet despair, consider another performance. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a spirited little dog portrayed by Gus the Dog, would struggle adjusting to divided living arrangements. If this concept a full holiday film on this conflict is sustainable seems a questionable prospect.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, crafted by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than what it is. It functions as a seasonal offering from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth remains surface-level. The plot is destined to be straightforward: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their post-breakup gloom is matched by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly rediscover the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – featuring familiar faces – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Its aesthetic carries the feel of a streaming service original, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – think obvious snow effects clinging to verdant foliage as a summer location doubles as a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
If these familiar elements merge into something enjoyable hinges on the execution and one's taste for comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who scroll endlessly for dog videos. The film delivers a wealth of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is the canine star, and though it results in some awkward editing between animal action and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, ultimately, doggie joy.
Where It Wobbles
The same praise is not earned for the human side of the story. The film's approach vacillates between relationship drama, zany antics, predictable love story, and physical comedy, not quite landing a single genre. No blame falls on the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the silliness and cringe inherent in the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a charming humility that supplies the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will click for some but not others. The character seems a bit too dry, especially when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, the canine performer manages acting depressed – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains a scene-stealer.)
The film attempts to give weight to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, considering the title character is easily the best part of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it meets the bare minimum. The catalyst for their original breakup might seem more nuanced with more screen time and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, meeting all its marks. Crafting a story with this canine conflict is not terrible – even if I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv premieres on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.
