It is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that jointly caring for a pet following a split is ill-advised. Most will argue such arrangements hinder former couples from moving forward, create logistical nightmares, spark arguments, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. Seemingly, and in a twist fit for a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to become depressed.
Not to downplay the emotional well-being of dogs – pet parents speak of their profound sensitivity. If you need standout portrayal in canine melancholy, consider another performance. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix played by the canine actor Gus, would struggle coping with split households. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance around this situation is sustainable is a questionable prospect.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, the work of the writing duo and directed by Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than a light film. It functions as a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the complexity is limited. Its storyline proves to be simple and direct: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge 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 presumably stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. The supporting cast – including familiar faces – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look carries the feel of a streaming service original, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – think fake snow clinging to verdant foliage as North Carolina stands in for the Northeast.
The Dog's Domain
How these familiar elements come together into an entertaining watch depends on the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who browse regularly for cute animal clips. The film delivers a wealth of canine-centric sequences. The primary selling point is the dog, and while this leads to some awkward editing between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
The Human Element
The same praise does not extend for the romantic plot. Its style vacillates between serious study, broad humor, predictable love story, and physical comedy, not quite landing a single genre. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is admirably committed the silliness and cringe inherent in the unusual premise. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that offers much of the film's charm for this seemingly ideal couple. Zooey Deschanel, true to her usual style, brings a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna comes across as a bit too dry, especially when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, Merv himself manages flopping and whining – while no a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely a very good boy.)
Merv tries to add substance to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – which is unfortunate, since the title character is by far the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for their original breakup might seem more adult and realistic with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling every expected note. Making a film on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – but it's not exactly a great one either.
- Merv streams on Prime Video this December.
