It is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that co-parenting a canine companion post-separation is a recipe for trouble. Experts frequently claim such arrangements prevent individuals from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and are a nuisance across the board. As it turns out, as a development fit for a streaming movie, it also makes our furry friends to experience sadness.
While respecting the emotional well-being of animals – countless people attest to their deep emotional capacity. To witness a prime example in dog sorrow, consider another performance. I firmly believe that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult adjusting to divided living arrangements. Whether this premise an entire Christmas romance on this conflict is sustainable seems a questionable prospect.Predictable Foundations
Honestly, Merv, the work of the writing duo and directed by Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be anything more than a light film. It functions as a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth are modest. The plot is destined to be uncomplicated: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a dog-friendly resort. There, inevitably, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. The supporting cast – featuring familiar faces – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Its aesthetic has the quality of a streaming service original, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – think fake snow clinging to verdant foliage as North Carolina substitutes for a cold December city.
The Canine Charisma
If these standard ingredients merge into a pleasant experience rests upon the execution and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who browse regularly for dog videos. It provides a wealth of scenes focused on the pet. The primary selling point is the dog, and while this leads to some awkward editing between animal action and human reaction, the movie does offer canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, in the end, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success is not earned for the human side of the story. Its style wavers between serious study, wacky comedy, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, never fully committing to a single genre. This is not Charlie Cox, who is fully game the silliness and cringe inherent in the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a charming humility that supplies much of the film's charm for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, in her typical fashion, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna seems a little too aloof, especially when paired with Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog is convincing at flopping and whining – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains a scene-stealer.)
The film attempts to provide depth to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, considering the dog is undoubtedly the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The cause for their original breakup might seem more adult and realistic with more screen time and fewer direct statements. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting every expected note. Making a film with this canine conflict is not terrible – though it's hardly a great one either.
- Merv premieres on Prime Video starting December 10.
