It is a common warning among many that sharing custody a canine companion after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. Most will argue such arrangements impede individuals from finding closure, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and prove frustrating for all parties. As it turns out, in a revelation fit for a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to become depressed.
While respecting the inner life of animals – many owners attest to their deep emotional capacity. If you need masterclass in canine melancholy, one need only look another performance. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time adapting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance around this situation is sustainable is debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and helmed by director Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than a light film. We have here a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the ambitions remains surface-level. The narrative is destined to be simple and direct: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they belong with each other. Side characters – including Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Visually carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is clearly manufactured – as seen in obvious snow effects clinging to verdant foliage as North Carolina substitutes for the Northeast.
Where the Film Shines
Whether these standard ingredients merge into something enjoyable rests upon the execution and the viewer's appetite for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who scroll endlessly for dog videos. Audiences receive a series of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is the canine star, and though it results in some clunky cuts between animal action and human reaction, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, dog depression, and, in the end, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success does not extend for the romantic plot. The film's approach shifts uneasily between emotional depth, zany antics, predictable love story, and physical comedy, failing to master a single genre. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is willing to embrace the absurd and awkward required by the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a charming humility that supplies the bulk of the chemistry for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, in her typical fashion, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will click for some but not others. Her portrayal seems a little too aloof, especially when alongside Cox's genuine sadness. (On another note, Gus the Dog manages looking despondent – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he remains a very good boy.)
The film attempts to add substance to the central romance for moments when the dog is absent – a regrettable choice, since the title character is easily the best part of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for the split would feel more nuanced with less exposition and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Making a film with this canine conflict has potential – though it's hardly a great one either.
- Merv becomes available on Prime Video starting December 10.
