It is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that jointly caring for a canine companion post-separation is a terrible idea. Most will argue such setups hinder individuals from finding closure, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. As it turns out, in a revelation worthy of a streaming movie, it can even cause the canine in question to experience sadness.
Not to downplay the mental health of animals – many owners attest to their deep emotional capacity. If you need prime example in canine melancholy, one need only look recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by Gus the Dog, would find it difficult coping with divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a full holiday film on such a setup is sustainable is debatable at best.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and directed by director Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than its premise. This is a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the ambitions remains surface-level. Its storyline is destined to be simple and direct: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their individual funk is matched by their dog's, take a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. Once there, as expected, they will surely rediscover the idea that they should reunite. The supporting cast – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually has the quality of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – exemplified by fake snow clinging to green trees as a summer location doubles as the Northeast.
The Dog's Domain
How these predictable parts come together into something enjoyable hinges on the actors' work and one's taste for comfort viewing. 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 central draw is Merv himself, and while this leads to some stilted moments between what the dog does and the actors' responses, the movie does offer dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.
The Human Element
The same praise is not earned for the romantic plot. The tone shifts uneasily between emotional depth, zany antics, predictable love story, and silly gags, failing to master a single genre. The fault lies not with Charlie Cox, who is fully game the absurd and awkward inherent in the bizarre setting. He brings a charming humility that provides the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, in her typical fashion, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna seems a bit too dry, especially when paired with Cox's genuine sadness. (It should be noted, the canine performer is convincing at acting depressed – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he remains an excellent dog.)
The film attempts to provide depth to Anna and Russ's relationship for scenes without their pet – a bit of a pity, given that Merv is by far the most adorable aspect of this film designed for charm. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for the split might seem more adult and realistic with less exposition and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Making a film about dog co-parenting is not terrible – even if it's hardly a great one either.
- Merv premieres on Amazon Prime Video this December.
