This is a widely held belief among many that jointly caring for a pet post-separation is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such situations impede individuals from healing, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating across the board. Seemingly, as a development worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause the canine in question to experience sadness.
Not to downplay the inner life of dogs – many owners speak of their remarkable empathy. If you need standout portrayal in dog sorrow, simply recall a past film. I firmly believe that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adjusting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance on this conflict is sustainable seems a questionable prospect.Predictable Foundations
Honestly, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than a light film. We have here a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the ambitions remains surface-level. The plot unfolds as simple and direct: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their individual funk is matched by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a dog-friendly resort. Once there, as expected, they will surely rediscover the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – including Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – think flurries surrounding green trees as North Carolina stands in for a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
How these standard ingredients coalesce into an entertaining watch rests upon the execution and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who seek out for cute animal clips. Audiences receive a series of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is the dog, and while this leads to some stilted moments between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie does offer canine party antics, dog depression, and, ultimately, doggie joy.
Where It Wobbles
The same praise cannot be applied for the romantic plot. Its style vacillates between serious study, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to any one mode. This is not Cox's performance, who is fully game the silliness and cringe demanded of the bizarre setting. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Zooey Deschanel, in her typical fashion, imparts a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal can feel a bit too dry, especially when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, the canine performer manages acting depressed – he may not be Messi from that acclaimed drama, he's definitely a very good boy.)
The film attempts to provide depth to the central romance for moments when the dog is absent – which is unfortunate, considering Merv is by far the most adorable aspect of this film designed for charm. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The reason for their original breakup would feel more adult and realistic with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting all its marks. Creating a movie with this canine conflict is not terrible – but it's not exactly a brilliant concept.
- Merv streams on the Amazon platform on December 10th.
