It is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that sharing custody a canine companion after a breakup is ill-advised. Most will argue such situations impede individuals from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. Seemingly, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the inner life of dogs – many owners speak of their remarkable empathy. To witness a prime example in canine melancholy, one need only look recent cinema. There is little doubt that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult adjusting to divided living arrangements. If this concept an entire Christmas romance around this situation holds water is a questionable prospect.Standard Holiday Fare
Honestly, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be more profound than its premise. This is a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity remains surface-level. The narrative unfolds as simple and direct: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Side characters – including familiar faces – are crafted as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Its aesthetic is reminiscent of a streaming service original, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – think flurries surrounding verdant foliage as North Carolina doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
Whether these predictable parts coalesce into a pleasant experience hinges on the execution and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – individuals who browse regularly for pet content. The film delivers a plethora of canine-centric sequences. The central draw is the canine star, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between animal action and human reaction, the movie delivers on canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, ultimately, a tail-wagging resolution.
Where It Wobbles
This level of success is not earned for the human side of the story. The film's approach vacillates between relationship drama, zany antics, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, never fully committing to a consistent feel. This is not Cox's performance, who is willing to embrace the absurd and awkward demanded of the unusual premise. He brings a charming humility that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, in her typical fashion, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will click for some but not others. The character can feel a touch too detached, notably when paired with Cox's genuine sadness. (It should be noted, Gus the Dog succeeds in looking despondent – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still a very good boy.)
Merv tries to give weight to Anna and Russ's relationship for moments when the dog is absent – a regrettable choice, considering the dog is easily the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The catalyst for the split would feel more grounded and mature with less exposition and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, hitting all its marks. Creating a movie with this canine conflict has potential – but I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.
- Merv streams on Prime Video starting December 10.
