This is a widely held belief in certain circles that sharing custody a pet post-separation is a terrible idea. Most will argue such arrangements impede individuals from healing, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and become annoying for everyone involved. As it turns out, in a revelation worthy of a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to our furry friends to become depressed.
Not to downplay the mental health of animals – many owners attest to their remarkable empathy. To witness a standout portrayal in canine melancholy, one need only look recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix played by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult adjusting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a full holiday film on this conflict works effectively is debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
Honestly, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and under the guidance of playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than its premise. It functions as a seasonal offering from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity is limited. The plot proves to be uncomplicated: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, decide on a uplifting getaway to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly rediscover the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – featuring familiar faces – are crafted as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – think flurries surrounding green trees as a summer location doubles as the Northeast.
The Dog's Domain
If these predictable parts come together into an entertaining watch depends on the strength of the performances and the viewer's appetite for comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – the kind who seek out for cute animal clips. It provides a wealth of adorable dog montages. The central draw is Merv himself, and while this leads to some stilted moments between animal action and human reaction, the movie does offer walking sequences, dog depression, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
The same praise cannot be applied for the romantic plot. The film's approach wavers between emotional depth, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and physical comedy, failing to master a single genre. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is fully game the humiliating and funny inherent in the unusual premise. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that supplies the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Zooey Deschanel, true to her usual style, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will click for some but not others. Her Anna comes across as a little too aloof, especially when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (On another note, Merv himself is convincing at acting depressed – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still an excellent dog.)
The story strives to provide depth to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – a regrettable choice, given that the title character is by far the cutest element of this film designed for charm. Unsurprisingly, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for their original breakup could have been more nuanced with less exposition and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Making a film about dog co-parenting has potential – but it's hardly a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on Prime Video starting December 10.
