This is a widely held belief among many that co-parenting a pet after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such situations hinder ex-partners from moving forward, create logistical nightmares, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating across the board. As it turns out, and in a twist worthy of a streaming movie, it also makes the canine in question to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the mental health of our pets – many owners observe their deep emotional capacity. To witness a prime example in pet despair, consider a past film. There is little doubt that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle coping with divided living arrangements. Whether this premise an entire Christmas romance on such a setup is sustainable remains rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
Fairness demands noting, Merv, the work of Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by director Swale, never aspires to be more profound than its premise. This is a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the ambitions is limited. The plot is destined to be simple and direct: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their own sadness is rivaled only by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will presumably stumble toward the idea that they are better together. The supporting cast – including a group of comedic actors – are crafted as the usual assortment of types. The film's look has the quality of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – as seen in flurries piled on verdant foliage as a summer location doubles as a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
How these predictable parts merge into a pleasant experience hinges on the actors' work and one's taste for easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who seek out for dog videos. It provides a plethora of adorable dog montages. The central draw is the canine star, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between animal action and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, dog depression, and, ultimately, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Human Element
Such effectiveness cannot be applied for the human side of the story. Its style vacillates between relationship drama, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to a consistent feel. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is admirably committed the absurd and awkward inherent in the unusual premise. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that provides much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, in her typical fashion, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will either resonate with viewers. Her Anna can feel a touch too detached, especially when contrasted against Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog succeeds in flopping and whining – he may not be the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains a very good boy.)
Merv tries to give weight to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – a bit of a pity, given that the dog is undoubtedly the best part of this feel-good picture. Unsurprisingly, it meets the bare minimum. The catalyst for their original breakup would feel more grounded and mature with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling all its marks. Crafting a story with this canine conflict is not terrible – but it's hardly a great one either.
- Merv premieres on the Amazon platform this December.
