It is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that sharing custody a pet after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. Experts frequently claim such arrangements impede ex-partners from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and become annoying across the board. As it turns out, and in a twist worthy of a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to our furry friends to feel down.
Not to downplay the inner life of animals – pet parents speak of their profound sensitivity. If you need masterclass in dog sorrow, one need only look recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a spirited little dog brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult adjusting to split households. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance on this conflict holds water remains debatable at best.A Familiar Formula
Honestly, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be deeper than a light film. It functions as a seasonal offering from a streaming platform giant – the depth remains surface-level. Its storyline unfolds as simple and direct: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly rediscover the idea that they are better together. Side characters – including a group of comedic actors – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic is reminiscent of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – think flurries piled on green trees as a warm climate substitutes for a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
How these standard ingredients merge into an entertaining watch depends on the actors' work and one's taste for easy entertainment. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – the kind who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. Audiences receive a plethora of adorable dog montages. The primary selling point is the canine star, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between animal action and people's faces, the movie delivers on walking sequences, pet moping, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise is not earned for the romantic plot. The film's approach vacillates between emotional depth, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, failing to master a consistent feel. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the silliness and cringe inherent in the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a charming humility that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal seems a little too aloof, particularly when alongside Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog succeeds in acting depressed – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains an excellent dog.)
The story strives to add substance to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – a regrettable choice, considering the title character is easily the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The reason for the split would feel more nuanced with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. In the end, Merv is gentle and pleasant, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie with this canine conflict has potential – though it's hardly a brilliant concept.
- Merv premieres on Prime Video this December.
