This is a common warning among many that co-parenting a pet following a split is a recipe for trouble. Experts frequently claim such situations prevent individuals from healing, create logistical nightmares, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. As it turns out, as a development fit for a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to become depressed.
Without minimizing the inner life of our pets – countless people speak of their deep emotional capacity. To witness a standout portrayal in pet despair, one need only look recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time coping with split households. If this concept an entire Christmas romance on such a setup works effectively seems a questionable prospect.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and helmed by Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims more profound than what it is. We have here a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity are modest. The plot unfolds as simple and direct: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their own sadness is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will surely realize the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – featuring familiar faces – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – think fake snow surrounding green trees as a warm climate doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
Whether these predictable parts come together into something enjoyable hinges on the actors' work and one's taste for easy entertainment. Regarding the second aspect, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who seek out for cute animal clips. It provides a plethora of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is the canine star, and while this leads to some awkward editing between animal action and human reaction, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, dog depression, and, ultimately, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Human Element
The same praise cannot be applied for the human side of the story. The film's approach shifts uneasily between emotional depth, broad humor, formulaic romance, and silly gags, not quite landing a consistent feel. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the silliness and cringe inherent in the bizarre setting. Cox exhibits a likable self-deprecation that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, true to her usual style, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal can feel a little too aloof, notably when paired with Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, the canine performer manages acting depressed – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he is still a scene-stealer.)
The story strives to add substance to the central romance for scenes without their pet – a regrettable choice, given that the dog is easily the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Unsurprisingly, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for their original breakup would feel more grounded and mature with more screen time and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is gentle and pleasant, hitting all its marks. Creating a movie with this canine conflict has potential – though it's not exactly a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video starting December 10.
