It is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that co-parenting a dog after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such arrangements impede former couples from finding closure, create logistical nightmares, spark arguments, and prove frustrating for all parties. As it turns out, and in a twist suited to a streaming movie, it can even cause the dogs themselves to become depressed.
While respecting the mental health of dogs – pet parents attest to their deep emotional capacity. To witness a prime example in dog sorrow, one need only look a past film. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a spirited little dog played by the canine actor Gus, would struggle adjusting to split households. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance on such a setup is sustainable remains debatable at best.A Familiar Formula
Fairness demands noting, Merv, the work of Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by director Swale, never aspires to be anything more than a light film. We have here a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity is limited. Its storyline unfolds as simple and direct: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their own sadness is surpassed by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they belong with each other. The supporting cast – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as the usual assortment of types. The film's look is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is clearly manufactured – as seen in fake snow surrounding green trees as North Carolina substitutes for the Northeast.
The Canine Charisma
How these standard ingredients coalesce into an entertaining watch rests upon the strength of the performances and the viewer's appetite for comfort viewing. Regarding the second aspect, Merv targets a specific viewer – individuals who scroll endlessly for dog videos. It provides a series of adorable dog montages. The primary selling point is Merv himself, and even if it causes some stilted moments between what the dog does and the actors' responses, the movie does offer canine party antics, pet moping, and, ultimately, doggie joy.
The Human Element
The same praise is not earned for the romantic plot. The tone shifts uneasily between emotional depth, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and physical comedy, never fully committing to a consistent feel. This is not Charlie Cox, who is admirably committed the absurd and awkward inherent in the unusual premise. Cox exhibits a endearing lack of ego that offers much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna seems a bit too dry, notably when paired with Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, Merv himself is convincing at acting depressed – while no a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains a scene-stealer.)
The film attempts to add substance to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, considering the title character is by far the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for their separation could have been more nuanced with greater exploration and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is light and sugary, meeting all its marks. Making a film with this canine conflict isn't a bad idea – even if I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.
