It is a widely held belief in certain circles that co-parenting a pet after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. Experts frequently claim such arrangements prevent ex-partners from healing, create logistical nightmares, lead to tension, and prove frustrating across the board. Apparently, as a development fit for a streaming movie, it can even cause the dogs themselves to experience sadness.
While respecting the inner life of our pets – countless people observe their profound sensitivity. If you need prime example in pet despair, consider recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle coping with split households. Whether this premise a full holiday film around this situation is sustainable remains rather doubtful.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and under the guidance of playwright Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be anything more than what it is. It functions as a seasonal offering from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions remains surface-level. Its storyline unfolds as simple and direct: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will surely rediscover the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – featuring familiar faces – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually has the quality of a branded content, with a Christmas setting that is clearly manufactured – think obvious snow effects clinging to lush pines as a warm climate stands in for a wintery Boston.
Where the Film Shines
How these familiar elements coalesce into an entertaining watch rests upon the strength of the performances and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – individuals who scroll endlessly for dog videos. It provides a series of canine-centric sequences. The central draw is the dog, and while this leads to some stilted moments between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie delivers on canine party antics, dog depression, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise is not earned for the human side of the story. The tone wavers between serious study, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and silly gags, never fully committing to a consistent feel. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the humiliating and funny required by the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a likable self-deprecation that provides the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. The character seems a touch too detached, particularly when alongside Cox's vulnerable performance. (It should be noted, Merv himself manages flopping and whining – 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 scenes without their pet – a regrettable choice, since the dog is easily the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for their separation would feel more nuanced with more screen time and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is gentle and pleasant, hitting all its marks. Making a film on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – though it's not exactly a stroke of genius.
- Merv premieres on Prime Video this December.
