It is a widely held belief among many that jointly caring for a pet post-separation is a recipe for trouble. Most will argue such setups hinder individuals from healing, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and become annoying across the board. Apparently, and in a twist suited to a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to become depressed.
While respecting the inner life of our pets – pet parents speak of their profound sensitivity. If you need standout portrayal in pet despair, one need only look another performance. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time coping with life in two homes. Whether this premise an entire Christmas romance on such a setup works effectively remains rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, written by the writing duo and helmed by director Swale, never aspires to be anything more than its premise. We have here a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the complexity is limited. The narrative proves to be straightforward: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – including a group of comedic actors – serve as the usual assortment of types. Its aesthetic is reminiscent of a branded content, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – think obvious snow effects surrounding green trees as a warm climate substitutes for a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
If these familiar elements coalesce into an entertaining watch rests upon the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who seek out for dog videos. Audiences receive a wealth of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is the dog, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie does offer canine party antics, dog depression, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
The same praise is not earned for the human side of the story. The film's approach shifts uneasily between relationship drama, broad humor, formulaic romance, and outright slapstick, failing to master a consistent feel. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is admirably committed the absurd and awkward required by the bizarre setting. He brings a likable self-deprecation that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this seemingly ideal couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, imparts a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal can feel a bit too dry, particularly when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (On another note, Gus the Dog manages looking despondent – he may not be the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains a very good boy.)
The story strives to give weight to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – a bit of a pity, since Merv is easily the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The reason for the split might seem more adult and realistic with more screen time and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting every expected note. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting has potential – but I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv streams on the Amazon platform this December.
