This is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that jointly caring for a pet post-separation is a recipe for trouble. Experts frequently claim such situations impede individuals from moving forward, create logistical nightmares, spark arguments, and prove frustrating across the board. Apparently, in a revelation fit for a streaming movie, it also makes the canine in question to feel down.
While respecting the mental health of our pets – many owners speak of their profound sensitivity. To witness a standout portrayal in pet despair, consider recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would struggle adapting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance on this conflict holds water seems rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
Fairness demands noting, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and helmed by Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be deeper than its premise. It functions as a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth is limited. Its storyline unfolds as straightforward: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, decide on a therapeutic trip to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will surely realize the idea that they belong with each other. The supporting cast – played by familiar faces – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a wintry atmosphere that is obviously artificial – as seen in fake snow surrounding verdant foliage as a summer location substitutes for a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
Whether these standard ingredients come together into an entertaining watch hinges on the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who scroll endlessly for dog videos. It provides a series of adorable dog montages. The central draw is the dog, and though it results in some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie does offer dog beach fun, pet moping, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. The tone shifts uneasily between relationship drama, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and physical comedy, failing to master a consistent feel. This is not Charlie Cox, who is admirably committed the humiliating and funny inherent in the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a likable self-deprecation that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal comes across as a little too aloof, particularly when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, the canine performer succeeds in acting depressed – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely an excellent dog.)
The story strives to add substance to the central romance for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, since the dog is by far the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Unsurprisingly, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for their separation might seem more grounded and mature with less exposition and fewer direct statements. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting all its marks. Crafting a story about dog co-parenting is not terrible – even if it's hardly a stroke of genius.
- Merv streams on the Amazon platform this December.
