It is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that co-parenting a canine companion following a split is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such arrangements impede individuals from healing, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and prove frustrating for all parties. Apparently, as a development suited to a streaming movie, it also makes the canine in question to experience sadness.
While respecting the mental health of our pets – many owners observe their deep emotional capacity. To witness a standout portrayal in pet despair, simply recall another performance. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a spirited little dog portrayed by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult adapting to life in two homes. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom on this conflict holds water seems rather doubtful.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, written by its screenwriters and helmed by Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be anything more than what it is. We have here a Christmas movie from a corporate studio – the depth remains surface-level. The plot is destined to be straightforward: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, take a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will surely rediscover the idea that they belong with each other. Ensemble players – featuring a group of comedic actors – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Its aesthetic has the quality of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – exemplified by fake snow clinging to verdant foliage as North Carolina doubles as a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
If these predictable parts coalesce into something enjoyable rests upon the actors' work and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who browse regularly for pet content. It provides a wealth of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is Merv himself, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between animal action and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, dog depression, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
Such effectiveness cannot be applied for the human side of the story. The film's approach wavers between serious study, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, failing to master a consistent feel. No blame falls on the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the silliness and cringe required by the unusual premise. He brings a charming humility that offers much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, brings a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. Her portrayal can feel a bit too dry, particularly when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (On another note, Gus the Dog succeeds in looking despondent – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains a scene-stealer.)
The film attempts to provide depth to the central romance for scenes without their pet – a bit of a pity, given that the dog is undoubtedly the most adorable aspect of this film designed for charm. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The catalyst for the split could have been more adult and realistic with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting has potential – but it's not exactly a stroke of genius.
- Merv streams on the Amazon platform starting December 10.
