This is a common warning for numerous people that co-parenting a canine companion after a breakup is a terrible idea. Most will argue such setups impede individuals from healing, create logistical nightmares, spark arguments, and become annoying across the board. Apparently, as a development worthy of a streaming movie, it also makes the canine in question to feel down.
While respecting the inner life of our pets – pet parents attest to their profound sensitivity. For a prime example in pet despair, simply recall a past film. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix played by the canine actor Gus, would struggle adjusting to split households. If this concept a full holiday film on such a setup works effectively is debatable at best.Predictable Foundations
Fairness demands noting, Merv, the work of Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by director Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than what it is. We have here a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions remains surface-level. The narrative unfolds as simple and direct: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, take a therapeutic trip to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will presumably rediscover the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – played by familiar faces – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – think fake snow surrounding verdant foliage as a summer location substitutes for a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
How these familiar elements coalesce into an entertaining watch rests upon the execution and the viewer's appetite for comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv hones in on a demographic – individuals who seek out for dog videos. Audiences receive a wealth of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the canine star, and even if it causes some awkward editing between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, pet moping, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
The Human Element
The same praise is not earned for the romantic plot. Its style vacillates between relationship drama, wacky comedy, formulaic romance, and silly gags, not quite landing a single genre. No blame falls on Charlie Cox, who is admirably committed the humiliating and funny required by the unusual premise. He brings a endearing lack of ego that supplies much of the film's charm for this ostensibly perfect couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will either resonate with viewers. Her portrayal comes across as a little too aloof, particularly when contrasted against Cox's vulnerable performance. (It should be noted, the canine performer succeeds in looking despondent – he may not be Messi from that acclaimed drama, he remains an excellent dog.)
The story strives to add substance to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – a bit of a pity, given that Merv is by far the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it meets the bare minimum. The reason for their separation might seem more adult and realistic with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, hitting all its marks. Making a film with this canine conflict has potential – even if it's hardly a brilliant concept.
- Merv premieres on Amazon Prime Video this December.
