It is a widely held belief in certain circles that sharing custody a dog following a split is a terrible idea. Most will argue such situations impede ex-partners from finding closure, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating across the board. Seemingly, as a development suited to a streaming movie, it also makes our furry friends to become depressed.
Without minimizing the inner life of our pets – many owners speak of their remarkable empathy. To witness a masterclass in pet despair, one need only look recent cinema. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix played by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time adapting to divided living arrangements. If this concept an entire Christmas romance around this situation works effectively remains debatable at best.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be more profound than what it is. This is a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the complexity are modest. The plot is destined to be simple and direct: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic carries the feel of a streaming service original, with a wintry atmosphere that is obviously artificial – think fake snow surrounding verdant foliage as a summer location substitutes for the Northeast.
The Dog's Domain
How these familiar elements merge into a pleasant experience depends on the strength of the performances and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv hones in on a demographic – individuals who browse regularly for dog videos. The film delivers a series of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is the dog, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between animal action and human reaction, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, dog depression, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
The Human Element
This level of success is not earned for the human side of the story. The film's approach shifts uneasily between serious study, broad humor, formulaic romance, and outright slapstick, failing to master a consistent feel. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is admirably committed the absurd and awkward inherent in the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that supplies a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Zooey Deschanel, in her typical fashion, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will click for some but not others. Her Anna seems a little too aloof, notably when alongside Cox's genuine sadness. (It should be noted, the canine performer manages flopping and whining – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely an excellent dog.)
The story strives to provide depth to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, considering Merv is easily the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The reason for the split might seem more nuanced with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, hitting all its marks. Crafting a story with this canine conflict isn't a bad idea – even if I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv premieres on Prime Video on December 10th.
