This is a widely held belief in certain circles that sharing custody a canine companion post-separation is ill-advised. Most will argue such setups impede former couples from finding closure, create logistical nightmares, spark arguments, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. As it turns out, in a revelation suited to a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause our furry friends to experience sadness.
While respecting the inner life of our pets – countless people observe their deep emotional capacity. If you need standout portrayal in pet despair, simply recall another performance. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by Gus the Dog, would struggle coping with life in two homes. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance on this conflict holds water remains debatable at best.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than what it is. We have here a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the ambitions remains surface-level. Its storyline proves to be straightforward: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. At this location, predictably, they will presumably rediscover the idea that they are better together. Side characters – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Its aesthetic has the quality of a branded content, with a wintry atmosphere that is clearly manufactured – exemplified by obvious snow effects surrounding verdant foliage as a summer location stands in for a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these predictable parts come together into a pleasant experience rests upon the execution and the viewer's appetite for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who browse regularly for dog videos. The film delivers a wealth of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the dog, and even if it causes some awkward editing between animal action and human reaction, the movie delivers on canine party antics, dog depression, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise does not extend for the human side of the story. The tone vacillates between emotional depth, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, failing to master a consistent feel. This is not Cox's performance, who is fully game the silliness and cringe required by the unusual premise. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Zooey Deschanel, true to her usual style, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will either resonate with viewers. The character seems a bit too dry, particularly when paired with Cox's genuine sadness. (It should be noted, Merv himself is convincing at looking despondent – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains a very good boy.)
The story strives to provide depth to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, considering Merv is undoubtedly the best part of this film designed for charm. As one might predict, it just about gets by. The cause for their original breakup could have been more grounded and mature with more screen time and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Crafting a story with this canine conflict is not terrible – though I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on the Amazon platform this December.
