It is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that co-parenting a pet post-separation is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such arrangements impede individuals from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and are a nuisance across the board. Seemingly, and in a twist fit for a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to feel down.
Without minimizing the inner life of our pets – pet parents attest to their deep emotional capacity. For a standout portrayal in pet despair, consider recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adapting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a full holiday film around this situation works effectively seems debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, written by the writing duo and under the guidance of director Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than a light film. This is a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions remains surface-level. The narrative is destined to be uncomplicated: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly rediscover the idea that they belong with each other. Ensemble players – played by familiar faces – fulfill roles eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Its aesthetic carries the feel of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – think fake snow piled on green trees as a warm climate doubles as the Northeast.
Where the Film Shines
How these familiar elements merge into an entertaining watch hinges on the strength of the performances and one's taste for comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – the kind who seek out for pet content. The film delivers a plethora of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is Merv himself, and while this leads to some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, pet moping, and, finally, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
Such effectiveness cannot be applied for the romantic plot. Its style wavers between serious study, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, not quite landing any one mode. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is admirably committed the absurd and awkward inherent in the unusual premise. Cox exhibits a likable self-deprecation that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this seemingly ideal couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, imparts a distinctive offbeat energy that will click for some but not others. Her Anna can feel a little too aloof, particularly when paired with Cox's genuine sadness. (On another note, Merv himself is convincing at looking despondent – while no a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely a scene-stealer.)
The film attempts to add substance to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, considering the dog is undoubtedly the most adorable aspect of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The reason for their original breakup could have been more nuanced with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting every expected note. Crafting a story with this canine conflict isn't a bad idea – but it's hardly a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on Prime Video this December.
