This is a widely held belief for numerous people that jointly caring for a dog post-separation is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such setups hinder individuals from moving forward, create logistical nightmares, lead to tension, and are a nuisance across the board. Seemingly, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it can even cause the canine in question to feel down.
While respecting the inner life of animals – countless people observe their remarkable empathy. To witness a standout portrayal in canine melancholy, simply recall another performance. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a spirited little dog portrayed by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time coping with divided living arrangements. Whether this premise an entire Christmas romance on such a setup works effectively remains debatable at best.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and under the guidance of playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than what it is. We have here a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions are modest. The narrative proves to be straightforward: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their own sadness is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they are better together. The supporting cast – played by a group of comedic actors – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – as seen in obvious snow effects surrounding green trees as a warm climate doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
If these standard ingredients come together into an entertaining watch rests upon the execution and one's taste for comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv hones in on a demographic – individuals who seek out for dog videos. It provides a series of canine-centric sequences. The primary selling point is the dog, and even if it causes some awkward editing between what the dog does and the actors' responses, the movie does offer dog beach fun, dog depression, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
Such effectiveness is not earned for the human side of the story. The film's approach vacillates between emotional depth, wacky comedy, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, not quite landing a single genre. No blame falls on the actor playing Russ, who is willing to embrace the humiliating and funny inherent in the bizarre setting. His performance contains a charming humility that supplies a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal seems a little too aloof, particularly when alongside Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, the canine performer is convincing at acting depressed – while no the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains an excellent dog.)
The story strives to provide depth to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, given that the title character is undoubtedly the best part of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for their original breakup would feel more adult and realistic with greater exploration and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, meeting all its marks. Crafting a story with this canine conflict isn't a bad idea – but I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv becomes available on the Amazon platform starting December 10.
