It is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that sharing custody a pet after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. Most will argue such setups impede individuals from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and prove frustrating for all parties. As it turns out, and in a twist suited to a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to experience sadness.
Not to downplay the emotional well-being of dogs – many owners speak of their deep emotional capacity. If you need masterclass in pet despair, one need only look another performance. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by the canine actor Gus, would struggle coping with split households. The idea of basing a full holiday film around this situation holds water is debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, the work of the writing duo and directed by playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than what it is. This is a Christmas movie from a corporate studio – the depth are modest. Its storyline proves to be uncomplicated: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their post-breakup gloom is matched by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly rediscover the idea that they belong with each other. Side characters – including a group of comedic actors – fulfill roles the usual assortment of types. The film's look carries the feel of a streaming service original, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – as seen in fake snow piled on lush pines as a warm climate stands in for the Northeast.
The Dog's Domain
If these familiar elements come together into a pleasant experience hinges on the actors' work and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv hones in on a demographic – the kind who scroll endlessly for pet content. The film delivers a wealth of canine-centric sequences. The central draw is the canine star, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between what the dog does and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, pet moping, and, ultimately, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Human Element
This level of success does not extend for the romantic plot. Its style shifts uneasily between serious study, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and silly gags, not quite landing any one mode. This is not Cox's performance, who is fully game the humiliating and funny required by the bizarre setting. He brings a likable self-deprecation that offers much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. The character seems a little too aloof, notably when contrasted against Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog manages flopping and whining – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains a very good boy.)
Merv tries to provide depth to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – which is unfortunate, given that Merv is by far the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it meets the bare minimum. The catalyst for their separation would feel more nuanced with less exposition and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is gentle and pleasant, fulfilling all its marks. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting is not terrible – even if I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv becomes available on the Amazon platform on December 10th.
