This is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that co-parenting a pet following a split is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such arrangements impede individuals from healing, create logistical nightmares, spark arguments, and become annoying across the board. Apparently, and in a twist suited to a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to become depressed.
While respecting the emotional well-being of animals – pet parents attest to their deep emotional capacity. If you need standout portrayal in pet despair, one need only look recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time adjusting to split households. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance around this situation holds water is rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than a light film. This is a seasonal offering from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity remains surface-level. Its storyline proves to be simple and direct: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting 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 presumably realize the idea that they belong with each other. Side characters – including a group of comedic actors – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Its aesthetic has the quality of a streaming service original, with a wintry atmosphere that is obviously artificial – as seen in fake snow surrounding lush pines as a warm climate stands in for the Northeast.
Where the Film Shines
How these familiar elements coalesce into an entertaining watch depends on the strength of the performances and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – individuals who seek out for pet content. Audiences receive a series of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is the canine star, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between animal action and people's faces, the movie does offer dog beach fun, pet moping, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
Such effectiveness does not extend for the romantic plot. The film's approach vacillates between relationship drama, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, never fully committing to a single genre. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is admirably committed the silliness and cringe inherent in the unusual premise. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will either resonate with viewers. Her Anna comes across as a bit too dry, notably when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (It should be noted, Merv himself manages looking despondent – he may not be Messi from that acclaimed drama, he remains a scene-stealer.)
Merv tries to provide depth to Anna and Russ's relationship for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, given that the dog is by far the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The catalyst for their separation could have been more grounded and mature with greater exploration and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is gentle and pleasant, fulfilling every expected note. Crafting a story with this canine conflict is not terrible – even if I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.
- Merv premieres on Amazon Prime Video starting December 10.
