This is a widely held belief among many that jointly caring for a canine companion following a split is ill-advised. Most will argue such arrangements hinder ex-partners from healing, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and prove frustrating across the board. As it turns out, as a development fit for a streaming movie, it also makes our furry friends to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the inner life of our pets – pet parents observe their profound sensitivity. For a standout portrayal in canine melancholy, one need only look a past film. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult adapting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a full holiday film around this situation is sustainable remains debatable at best.Predictable Foundations
Fairness demands noting, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and directed by director Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than its premise. We have here a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity are modest. The plot is destined to be simple and direct: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their post-breakup gloom is surpassed by their dog's, decide on a therapeutic trip to a dog-friendly resort. Once there, as expected, they will presumably realize the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – including Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually is reminiscent of a streaming service original, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – exemplified by flurries clinging to lush pines as a warm climate substitutes for a wintery Boston.
Where the Film Shines
How these standard ingredients coalesce into a pleasant experience rests upon the strength of the performances and one's taste for easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who browse regularly for dog videos. It provides a wealth of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is the dog, and though it results in some stilted moments between animal action and human reaction, the movie does offer canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, ultimately, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Two-Legged Cast
Such effectiveness cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. Its style shifts uneasily between serious study, zany antics, predictable love story, and silly gags, never fully committing to a consistent feel. This is not Cox's performance, who is willing to embrace the humiliating and funny inherent in the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that provides much of the film's charm for this ostensibly perfect couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal can feel a little too aloof, notably when alongside Cox's vulnerable performance. (On another note, Gus the Dog is convincing at flopping and whining – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he is still a very good boy.)
The story strives to provide depth to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – a regrettable choice, since the dog is easily the most adorable aspect of this feel-good picture. As one might predict, it just about gets by. The reason for the split would feel more nuanced with greater exploration and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, hitting every expected note. Crafting a story about dog co-parenting is not terrible – though it's not exactly a stroke of genius.
- Merv streams on Prime Video this December.
