This is a common warning in certain circles that jointly caring for a pet after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such setups impede individuals from moving forward, create logistical nightmares, spark arguments, and prove frustrating across the board. As it turns out, in a revelation suited to a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause the dogs themselves to become depressed.
While respecting the inner life of our pets – many owners attest to their deep emotional capacity. If you need masterclass in pet despair, simply recall recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog like Merv, a spirited little dog played by Gus the Dog, would find it difficult coping with split households. Whether this premise a full holiday film around this situation is sustainable seems debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
Honestly, Merv, the work of the writing duo and directed by playwright Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be deeper than a light film. This is a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the ambitions is limited. Its storyline proves to be uncomplicated: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly rediscover the idea that they belong with each other. The supporting cast – featuring familiar faces – are crafted as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Its aesthetic carries the feel of a streaming service original, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – exemplified by obvious snow effects piled on lush pines as North Carolina stands in for the Northeast.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these predictable parts merge into a pleasant experience depends on the actors' work and one's taste for easy entertainment. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – the kind who browse regularly for cute animal clips. The film delivers a plethora of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is the canine star, and even if it causes some stilted moments between animal action and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, in the end, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success is not earned for the human side of the story. Its style vacillates between serious study, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, not quite landing any one mode. No blame falls on the actor playing Russ, who is willing to embrace the absurd and awkward inherent in the bizarre setting. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that supplies the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will click for some but not others. Her Anna seems a little too aloof, notably when alongside Cox's vulnerable performance. (It should be noted, Merv himself succeeds in acting depressed – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely an excellent dog.)
The story strives to give weight to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, given that the title character is by far the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it just about gets by. The reason for their separation could have been more grounded and mature with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is gentle and pleasant, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Making a film on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – even if I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv premieres on the Amazon platform on December 10th.
